"Whenever a foreigner visits Mexico, we want them to feel at home, and that is the exact opposite of what I did." That line — from the man himself — pretty much covers it.
On June 11th, during South Korea's 2-1 opening win over the Czech Republic at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, a Mexican spectator identified as Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes was caught on camera pulling the corners of his eyes in a gesture aimed at South Korean YouTuber Ino Cat. She was filming a vlog. He was behind her. Others laughed. She kept smiling, never broke eye contact with the camera, and later posted the clip with the caption: "Tell me if I'm just being too sensitive."
She wasn't.
The fallout was swift
The video spread fast, and Bernal didn't try to dodge it. He released a public video statement, acknowledged what he did, and resigned from his position at the Colegio de Topographic and Geomatic Engineers of Jalisco — his words were that he wanted to keep the institution clear of something he described as "purely personal." An earlier report had linked him to a different engineering body, the Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles del Estado de Jalisco, which quickly put out a statement distancing themselves from him entirely.
He also said he'd already been in contact with Ino Cat and planned to apologize to her in person.
Ino Cat, for her part, thanked the wave of Mexican fans who reached out afterward — and noted that the vast majority of her time in Mexico had been warm and welcoming. That matters. One clip doesn't define a host nation, and she seemed clear-eyed about that.
The bigger picture FIFA keeps avoiding
What this incident really exposes — again — is the gap between FIFA's stated anti-discrimination policies and what actually happens inside their stadiums. The governing body has protocols on the books: fans, clubs, even entire federations can face sanctions for discriminatory behavior. There was no comment from FIFA or tournament organizers on this specific incident.
There rarely is, until pressure builds loud enough.
The World Cup pulls together supporters from dozens of countries into shared spaces over a month. That's the tournament's greatest draw. It's also where this kind of behavior gets an audience — and a camera. Until enforcement becomes visible and consistent, the apologies will keep coming after the fact, and the discussions will keep cycling through the same conclusions.
Bernal said it "really hurts" him. Whether that's guilt or consequence is hard to know. Either way, Ino Cat's smile through it all told a sharper story than his statement did.
