Kylian Mbappe has rounded on a Paraguayan senator he labelled "despicable" and unworthy of her office, after she directed a series of racist remarks at him on social media following Paraguay's elimination from the 2026 World Cup.
Celeste Amarilla, a member of Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, published the posts on X in the wake of her country's last-16 defeat by France. Mbappe, who scored the decisive penalty in the second half of that tie, responded with a pointed public statement that drew widespread attention across the football world and beyond.
"Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position," Mbappe wrote. "You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition. Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country. I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world."
The French Football Federation (FFF) moved swiftly, announcing its intention to file criminal charges. In a formal statement, the federation described Amarilla's remarks as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable", adding: "These remarks are criminal and reprehensible. They must be prosecuted here as elsewhere. The FFF is reporting the matter to the public prosecutor's office with a view to legal proceedings." The federation also stressed that in insulting players of the French national team, Amarilla had, in effect, insulted France itself.
The Paraguayan government distanced itself from the senator, stating that it "deplores and rejects" her comments, which it said ran contrary to values of peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that the country promotes.
France's president Emmanuel Macron also weighed in, writing on social media: "Another goal for Kylian Mbappe. Against racism this time. All my support. When words defile, our values respond: dignity, respect, fraternity."
A pattern of abuse ahead of the match
Amarilla's remarks did not emerge in isolation. Before the fixture had even kicked off, former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert had described the French squad as "a team from Africa" — a comment that drew an immediate rebuke from FFF president Philippe Diallo.
"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by José Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football," Diallo said, adding that whatever Chilavert may once have achieved between the posts, he had now "fallen into disgrace".
That two prominent Paraguayan public figures directed such language at France's players within the space of days speaks to a broader problem that football's governing bodies have long struggled to address with any consistency. The FFF's decision to pursue criminal proceedings is, at minimum, a signal that it intends to treat the matter seriously.
France march on, Mbappe at the summit
On the pitch, France's progress continues in spades. Mbappe's winning penalty against Paraguay was enough to book a quarter-final meeting with Morocco in Boston. With seven goals to his name in this tournament, the forward sits joint-top of the scoring charts alongside Argentina's Lionel Messi and Norway's Erling Haaland — a trio whose presence at the sharp end of this World Cup has defined much of the conversation around the competition.
It is a measure of Mbappe's standing that his response to Amarilla carried political weight well beyond the touchline. French leaders, football administrators and fellow professionals rallied around him almost immediately. The episode is unlikely to distract a player who has shown, across the course of this tournament, that very little disrupts his focus once a match is under way.
For Paraguay, the episode is a painful footnote to what had been a genuinely creditable run. Their players performed with honour throughout; the lasting image from their exit should not be the conduct of those on the sidelines.
Frequently asked
- What did the Paraguayan senator say about Mbappe?
- Celeste Amarilla, a member of Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, posted racist remarks on X mocking Mbappe's origin and education after Paraguay were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup by France. The specific content of her posts is not quoted in full by the sources, but both the FFF and the Paraguayan government condemned them as racist and unacceptable.
- Are France taking legal action over the racist posts?
- Yes. The French Football Federation (FFF) has announced it is referring the matter to the public prosecutor's office with a view to filing criminal charges, describing Amarilla's remarks as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable".
- How many goals has Mbappe scored at the 2026 World Cup?
- Mbappe has scored seven goals at the 2026 World Cup, making him joint top-scorer in the tournament alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland. His penalty against Paraguay sent France through to the quarter-finals.