A bitter international dispute has erupted after Paraguay Senator Celeste Amarilla demanded a public apology from France captain Kylian Mbappé. The political standoff follows a World Cup round-of-16 match on Saturday, after which Amarilla targeted the Real Madrid forward with comments that Mbappé blasted as “blatant racism.”
The controversy began Saturday night when Amarilla, a 64-year-old senator and member of Paraguay’s Authentic Radical Liberal Party, posted photos of Mbappé on Instagram alongside a caption calling the 27-year-old striker a “colonized Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French.” She also labeled him “resentful, arrogant and ugly.”
Mbappe hit back on Monday with a statement on social media, directly addressing the senator’s rhetoric.
“Because of your thoughtlessness and your blatant racism, the whole world has already forgotten the historic journey and effort your players made during this World Cup,” Mbappé wrote on X. “It is now overshadowed by an incompetent woman who is presenting 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.”
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Rather than backing down, Amarilla issued a lengthy open letter later on Monday, doubling down on her remarks and demanding a retraction from the French star.
Amarilla alleged that Mbappé showed “contempt, arrogance, and a lack of manners” by failing to shake hands with Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after France’s 1-0 victory—an act she described as “almost sacred.”
“I will not tolerate your abuse; you do not know me, you have no idea who I am, and you have no right to say that I am a despicable woman, unworthy of the office I hold,” Amarilla stated. She concluded her letter by warning that if Mbappé does not apologize, she “may take legal action for gender-based violence.”
The Paraguayan government moved quickly to distance itself from the lawmaker, issuing a statement that it “deplores and rejects” her comments. Executive officials clarified that Amarilla’s views do not represent the nation or its citizens, reaffirming their commitment to “combating racism, xenophobia, intolerance, and all forms of hatred.”
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Global soccer institutions have also united behind the France captain:
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FIFA: President Gianni Infantino condemned the comments “unequivocally” on Instagram, stating, “All of football and society stand in solidarity with the France captain.”
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Real Madrid: Mbappé’s club issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its “strongest condemnation of the deplorable racist and xenophobic remarks.”
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French Football Federation (FFF): The federation announced Monday that it has formally reported Amarilla’s comments to the public prosecutor’s office to initiate legal proceedings.
The off-field hostility follows a tense on-field battle in which France defeated Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday, thanks to a 70th-minute penalty converted by Mbappé. The goal kept Mbappé at the top of the World Cup Golden Boot race with seven goals in four matches, tied alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
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France will move past the distraction to face Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals in Foxborough on Thursday.
