FIFA Invites South Korean YouTuber Ino Cat to South Korea–Mexico World Cup Match

FIFA announced that Yoon Su-jin, known as Ino Cat, will attend the 2026 World Cup group-stage match between South Korea and Mexico in Guadalajara. The match is part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. The invitation coincides with the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, and FIFA said the match will deliver a “message of inclusion and respect”.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

During the Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic on 11 June, Ino Cat recorded a Mexican spectator pulling at his eye corners—a gesture recognized as mocking East Asian people. The video, posted on 12 June, identified the man as Ulysses Fernando Bernal Miramontes, president of the College of Topographic and Geodetic Engineers of the State of Jalisco (CITGEJ). The United Nations created the International Day for Countering Hate Speech in 2021 to address the “exponential spread” of hate speech, xenophobia and discrimination.

South China Morning PostFIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

Ino Cat (Yoon Su-jin) is the South Korean influencer targeted by the gesture. Ulysses Fernando Bernal Miramontes, then president of CITGEJ, performed the gesture and later apologized, pledging to step down. FIFA is the governing body that issued the invitation.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

• 11 June – South Korea vs Czech Republic; Ino Cat records the incident.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

• 12 June – Video circulates, naming Miramontes.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

• 14 June – Miramontes apologizes on social media and says he will resign as CITGEJ president.

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• Wednesday – FIFA announces the invitation and blocks Miramontes’s World Cup ticketing account.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

• Friday – South Korea vs Mexico match takes place in Guadalajara.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

FIFA condemned all forms of racial discrimination and said the match would promote inclusion. It confirmed Miramontes’s ticketing account was blocked and that his apology was considered. Miramontes’s apology expressed regret and his intention to step down.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

Social-media users condemned the gesture as racist and demanded accountability from CITGEJ, urging stronger anti-racism measures in sport.

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The invitation ties a World Cup match to an anti-hate-speech day, signaling FIFA’s use of sport for social messaging and highlighting the need for robust anti-discrimination protocols.

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• “message of inclusion and respect” — FIFA statement

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• “FIFA strongly condemns all forms of racial discrimination, hate, and discriminatory behavior,” — FIFA

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

• “I sincerely apologize to the Korean fan and everyone who felt uncomfortable due to my actions.” — Ulysses Fernando Bernal Miramontes

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral

Ino Cat will attend the South Korea–Mexico match on Friday, where FIFA will emphasize its inclusion message. Observers will watch whether FIFA adopts further safeguards against hate speech in future tournaments.

FIFA Invites Ino Cat to South Korea-Mexico Match After Racist Incident Goes Viral