Kylian Mbappe has called a Paraguayan senator "despicable" and said she is unfit for public office after she used racially charged language to mock his background and education following France's last 16 win over Paraguay at the World Cup.
What triggered the row
Senator Celeste Amarilla, who represents Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, took to X shortly after her country's elimination from the tournament to vent her frustration. Rather than criticising the result on footballing terms, her post targeted Mbappe personally, mocking his origin and his education in remarks that quickly drew condemnation from French football's governing body and the wider football world.
Mbappe's blunt response
Responding directly to Amarilla, the France captain accused her of failing to represent the values of her own country. He said she did not represent Paraguay, "that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition," and argued that her "recklessness" and "brazen racism" had overshadowed the historic effort of the Paraguay squad during the tournament, replacing it instead with "an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country." He added that he would never allow people like her the freedom to spread hatred and racism across the world.
French federation moves to press charges
The French Football Federation, known as the FFF, has announced it will pursue criminal action against Amarilla, calling her remarks "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable." In a formal statement, the federation said the comments were "criminal and reprehensible" and "must be prosecuted here as elsewhere," confirming it is reporting the matter to the public prosecutor's office with a view to legal proceedings. The FFF added that such remarks "bring shame upon those who make them and those who disseminate them," stressing that the players of the French national team represent the whole country, meaning it is France itself that has been insulted.
Paraguay's government distances itself
The Paraguayan government issued its own statement distancing itself from the senator's comments, saying it "deplores and rejects the statements" made by Amarilla. It added that her remarks are "contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes," effectively disowning her position on behalf of the state.
Macron weighs in with support
French president Emmanuel Macron also responded publicly, posting that Mbappe had scored "another goal," this time "against racism," and pledging "all my support." He wrote that when words defile, French values respond with "dignity, respect, fraternity," aligning the presidency firmly behind the player.
A second controversy involving Chilavert
Amarilla's comments came in the wake of remarks by former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, who said in the build-up to the France match that his national side were facing "a squad from Africa." Those comments also triggered a strong response from FFF president Philippe Diallo, who branded Chilavert a "disgrace" and said he condemned "in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by Jose Luis Chilavert against the French national team," arguing they undermine "the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity" in football. Diallo added that whatever Chilavert achieved as a goalkeeper in the past, "this man has now fallen into disgrace."
Mbappe's tournament form
On the pitch, Mbappe has continued to be central to France's World Cup campaign. He scored two goals apiece in fixtures against Senegal, Iraq and Sweden before converting a penalty against Paraguay in the last 16. That run of goals has taken him to seven for the tournament, making him the joint top-scorer alongside Argentina's Lionel Messi and Norway's Erling Haaland as the competition moves into its knockout stages.
