France and Paraguay have united in condemning a racist attack on French football captain Kylian Mbappé by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla following her country’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Amarilla launched a series of racist attacks against Mbappé on social media after his penalty gave France a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in their Round of 16 encounter on Saturday. The Paraguayan senator described Mbappé as a “colonised Cameroonian” pretending to be French and attacked his African heritage, appearance, upbringing and education.
The comments provoked condemnation from Mbappé, the French Football Federation, the French government and, unusually, Paraguay’s own government, which quickly distanced itself from the senator.
The controversy followed a tense and physical World Cup encounter in which Mbappé scored the only goal from the penalty spot to send France into the quarter-finals. The defeat ended an impressive World Cup campaign for Paraguay but tensions surrounding the match continued after the final whistle.
Amarilla subsequently published a lengthy social media attack against Mbappé containing racist insults and questioning the legitimacy of his French identity. Her comments quickly became an international controversy, overshadowing Paraguay’s performance at the tournament.
Mbappé Calls Senator ‘Despicable’ and ‘Unworthy’ of Office
Mbappé responded directly to the senator, describing her as a “despicable woman” who was “unworthy” of holding public office.
The French captain also sought to separate Amarilla’s statements from Paraguay and its people.
“You do not represent Paraguay, a country that has shown passion and honour throughout the competition,” Mbappé said.
He accused the senator of allowing her racism to overshadow the achievements of the Paraguayan national team.
“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,” he said.
Mbappé added that he would not allow racism and hatred to spread without challenge.
French Government Rallies Behind Mbappé
French President Emmanuel Macron publicly supported Mbappé, while Sports Minister Marina Ferrari condemned Amarilla’s comments. The French Football Federation also announced plans to take legal action against the senator.
FFF President Philippe Diallo described the statements as racist, abhorrent and potentially criminal, arguing that the attack was directed not only against Mbappé but against a player representing France. French prosecutors have since opened an investigation into the racist insults directed at the France captain.
The controversy has therefore moved beyond an angry social media exchange between a footballer and politician and could potentially become a legal matter.
The Paraguayan government also moved quickly to distance itself from Amarilla. Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the senator’s statements were incompatible with the country’s commitment to human dignity, peaceful coexistence and non-discrimination.
The government stressed that Amarilla’s comments represented her personal views and not those of Paraguay or its people. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña also communicated his condemnation of the remarks to the French government.
The response created the unusual situation of the French and Paraguayan governments publicly taking the same position against a serving Paraguayan senator.
Amarilla Refuses to Back Down Completely
Following the international backlash, Amarilla deleted her original posts and published an open letter addressed to Mbappé in French and Spanish. However, the senator stopped short of an unconditional apology.
While expressing regret over some of the language she had used, Amarilla continued to criticise Mbappé and demanded that the French captain apologise for his own remarks. She also accused Mbappé of verbal violence against a woman and threatened possible legal action if he refused to retract his statements. There has so far been no announcement of disciplinary action against Amarilla by Paraguay’s Senate.
The Amarilla controversy came shortly after former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert was criticised for describing France as a “team from Africa” before the World Cup encounter.
Chilavert’s comments were condemned by French football officials, adding to tensions surrounding the match.
The two incidents have revived a long-running debate about the racial identity of the French national team, many of whose leading players have African family backgrounds. Mbappé himself was born in Paris and raised in Bondy. His father is of Cameroonian origin and his mother is of Algerian Kabyle heritage.
The France captain has repeatedly been targeted by racist abuse during his career, including following France’s defeat by Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. The latest controversy is particularly striking because the attack came not from an anonymous football supporter but from an elected national legislator.
For Mbappé, the senator’s intervention ultimately did more damage to Paraguay than to its intended target.
Instead of international attention remaining focused on the South American country’s World Cup performance, the actions of one politician have left Paraguay’s government defending the country against accusations of racism and publicly repudiating one of its own senators.
France, meanwhile, will face Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals, with Mbappé’s performances on the pitch once again competing for attention with the wider debate about race, nationality and what it means to be French.
