Mexican fan who made racist gesture at World Cup resigns and issues public apology

A Mexican supporter caught on camera making a racist gesture behind a South Korean influencer during a World Cup match in Guadalajara has resigned from his job and issued a public apology, after footage of the incident spread rapidly across social media.

Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes was filmed pulling the corners of his eyes — a gesture widely recognised as derogatory toward East Asians — while seated in the stands during South Korea’s 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic at the Guadalajara Stadium. The clip was shared on Instagram by Yoon Su-jin, a popular content creator known as Ino Cat, with the caption: “You travelled across the world for the World Cup… And experienced racism.”

The post drew more than 65,000 comments and was reposted widely, prompting a wave of condemnation from Mexican users who were quick to distance themselves from Miramontes’ actions. “Please don’t judge Mexico by the actions of one person,” one commenter wrote. “Most Mexicans are kind, warm, welcoming, and genuinely happy to share our country with others.”

As the backlash intensified over the weekend, Miramontes released a video statement in which he confirmed he had stepped down from his position at the College of Geomatics and Topographic Surveying Engineers of Jalisco (CITGEJ). “I want to separate the institution from the controversy,” he said. “This is something personal, and I will hold my hands up to the consequences, as I should.”

In his apology, Miramontes addressed Ino Cat directly, as well as the broader Korean and international communities. “Whenever a foreigner visits Mexico, we want them to feel at home, and what happened was the complete opposite,” he said. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to express my regret, and it’s important to recognise when we’re in the wrong.”

He added that he had attempted to contact Yoon Su-jin to apologise in person. “This situation has hurt me a lot, and I know it affected many people. But I want to say from my heart that I regret my actions, and I will never do anything like this again.”

The incident has cast an unwanted shadow over Mexico’s hosting of World Cup matches, with the country’s football community and wider public largely united in condemning the behaviour.