France captain Kylian Mbappé has strongly condemned Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla over racist comments she made following France’s victory over Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup round of 16.
The French star responded on Monday after Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, published a series of posts on X targeting Mbappé after he scored the winning penalty in France’s 1-0 victory on Saturday. The posts mocked the striker’s origins, upbringing, education and appearance.
In a post on X, Mbappé described Amarilla as a “despicable woman” who was “unworthy” of serving in Paraguay’s Congress.
“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,” Mbappé wrote.
Later on Monday, Amarilla published an open letter in French and Spanish on social media, saying that her criticism was directed at Mbappé rather than France. She also said she regretted insulting the French captain with “the same insults” she had received herself as a mixed-race person and confirmed that she had deleted her original post.
However, the senator also demanded an apology from Mbappé, accusing him of gender-based violence in his comments and threatening legal action if he did not retract them.
The controversy prompted reactions from both French and Paraguayan authorities. Paraguay’s government issued a statement condemning Amarilla’s remarks as " contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes." It added that the senator’s comments did not represent either the Paraguayan government or the Paraguayan people.
The French Football Federation also denounced Amarilla’s comments as “utterly abhorrent” and “unacceptable,” adding that it would refer the matter to prosecutors.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Sports Minister Marina Ferrari publicly backed the national team captain. “One more goal for Kylian Mbappé. This time against racism,” Macron wrote on X, adding that Mbappé had his " full support. "
France assistant coach Guy Stéphan also condemned the remarks, describing them as “indignant, abject, scandalous.”
France advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will face Morocco on Thursday, July 9, at Gillette Stadium in Boston.
