Paraguay’s elimination at the hands of France in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup has led to a regrettable and shameful incident off the field. French star Kylian Mbappé has spoken out to categorically condemn the racist attacks made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla, who, following the controversy, has threatened the player with legal action.
The forward, who has shone in the tournament with goals against Senegal, Iraq, and Sweden—as well as the decisive penalty kick against Paraguay—did not remain silent in the face of what he considered an unacceptable act of hatred.
The Unacceptable Attacks on Social Media
The scandal erupted when Amarilla, a member of Paraguay’s Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), used her account on social media platform X to vent her fury following her national team’s defeat.
In a series of posts, the legislator attacked the 2018 World Cup champion’s origins and upbringing. She labeled him a “colonized Cameroonian” who pretends to be French, and used derogatory adjectives such as “resentful, arrogant, and ugly,” going so far as to insinuate, in racist tones, that the player had been raised “in the jungle surrounded by apes.”
Mbappé’s Forceful Response
True to his forthright style, Mbappé did not let the insult slide and issued a harsh response, distinguishing the senator’s attitude from the behavior of South American fans and the efforts of his teammates on the field.
Mbappé made clear his zero-tolerance stance toward discrimination: “I will never allow people like her to have the freedom to spread their hatred and racism around the world.”
Paraguay Distances Itself from the Senator
The gravity of Amarilla’s statements quickly escalated to the diplomatic level. Faced with the global backlash, the Foreign Ministry in Asunción was forced to issue an official statement to contain the damage.
The Paraguayan government stated that it “categorically deplores and rejects” the comments made by the senator, clarifying to the international community that her words “in no way represent the Paraguayan people.”
While the senator is now threatening possible legal action, the football world has rallied in support of Mbappé, reiterating that racism has no place in either sports or society.