World Cup: Some football fans are in trouble with Fifa

Cheers, tears and banners – when it comes to the World Cup, fans are used to going all-out to show their support.

But sometimes, excitement can tip over into bad behaviour.

When that happens, Fifa – football’s international governing body – can step in and sanction the teams for fan misconduct.

The organisation has already had to sanction several countries during the 2022 World Cup.

On Tuesday, Fifa announced they would begin a disciplinary investigation after Croatia’s fans jeered Canada’s goalie Milan Borjan for his Serbian family ties.

Fans displayed a banner aimed at Mr Borjan, with the name of his family’s hometown over a logo for a tractor manufacturer during Sunday’s game, which saw Canada lose 4-1.

Mr Borjan’s family left their hometown of Knin in 1995, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, at a time when there were stories of ethnic Serbs fleeing Croatia on tractors.

Mr Borjan’s family moved to Canada in 2000.

Fifa has also begun disciplinary proceedings against Mexico and Ecuador, after fans allegedly sang homophobic chants.

If sanctioned, national teams can be fined or forced to play matches in an empty stadium.

Fifa has said it has a “zero-tolerance policy” for discriminatory fan abuse.

The organisation has a three-step process that allows referees to stop, suspend or end a match if fans are abusing players because of their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

In 2019, it increased penalties for discriminatory abuse, implementing a minimum fine of 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,900; £17,500) for teams whose fans break the rules. The team will also be required to partially close its stadium for at least one match.

Since then, they have issued several sanctions during matches.

Last year, Mexico was fined 100,000 Swiss francs and had to play two World Cup qualifying games behind closed doors because of homophobic chants.

Also that year, the Hungarian football federation was fined 200,000 Swiss francs and fans were banned from two games after supporters hurled racial abuse at black English players during a qualifying game.

Fifa has itself come under criticism for choosing Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, to host the World Cup.

There have been incidents of players and supporters being told to remove items of clothing – such as armbands or hats – that demonstrate support for the LGBT community, though Qatar has said all are welcome at the tournament.