Mbappé to Racist Paraguayan Senator: ‘You Are Despicable and Unworthy of Your Office’

A diplomatic and sporting controversy has erupted following Paraguay’s 1-0 defeat to France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, after racist Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla published a series of racist posts on X targeting French captain Kylian Mbappé.

In the posts, Amarilla made repeated racist remarks about Mbappé’s African heritage, describing him as a “colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French.” She also insulted his intelligence and appearance, using demeaning stereotypes and racist language, and suggested Paraguay’s players should have physically assaulted him during the match. Her words below:

“This brute hasn’t even learned to write. Instead of breastmilk, he grew up sucking on coconuts, and the most educated creatures he ever heard were chimpanzees.

You should’ve given him the middle finger, Orlando Gill (Paraguay GK).

A colonized Cameroonian, pretending to be French, resentful, newly rich, arrogant, and ugly.

He was nervous and scared to death all game, like his whole team. They didn’t even manage to score a single goal, until they got lucky with a penalty. The only thing many of us blame the team for is not giving him a full-handed slap at the end of the game. I’m not even a football fan.”

The comments drew widespread condemnation for their overtly racist nature.

Mbappé responded in a statement written in French, condemning Amarilla and rejecting her remarks.

“Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your office.

You do not represent Paraguay, a country that demonstrated passion and honour throughout the competition. Through your recklessness and unapologetic racism, the entire world has already forgotten the historic journey and efforts of your players at this World Cup, leaving only the image of an incompetent woman giving her country the worst possible reputation.

I will never allow people like you the freedom to spread their hatred and racism around the world.”

The French Football Federation announced it is preparing to file a criminal complaint over the senator’s statements, which could face legal scrutiny under French laws governing racist hate speech.

The controversy has overshadowed Paraguay’s historic run to the knockout stage of the tournament, with attention shifting from the team’s achievements to the fallout surrounding Amarilla’s comments.

As of publication, Amarilla had not issued an apology or retracted her statements. The incident has prompted renewed discussion about racism in football and the responsibilities of public officials in their public communications.