Honduras soccer player Anthony "Choco" Lozano said he was racially abused by an Argentina opponent in the teams' 1-1 draw in the Olympics tournament on Wednesday.
Lozano celebrated his opening goal in the 75th minute by putting his finger to his lips, though he did not identify the offending player.
"I went to shut up an Argentine who made racist comments and I didn't like it. That's why I made the 'silence' [gesture] after the goal," he said, according to El Heraldo. "It doesn't seem correct to me, but hey, that's how I celebrated. But I dedicate it to my family and God.
"I honestly do not give importance to people who criticize me. Really, for me, those people do not exist."
Lozano's goal helped Honduras advance to the quarterfinals, while Argentina were eliminated.
"It's historic what we are doing," Lozano said as Honduras prepare to face South Korea. "We always believed in ourselves and we thank God for this achievement. We are aiming for large things and what we need is to keep improving.
"Let it grow little by little, we must think about the next game, grab the good things we did and move forward."