Kylian Mbappé has taken to social media to condemn racist remarks made by a Paraguayan senator, Celeste Amarilla, following the World Cup match where France defeated Paraguay.
The French football captain described Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, as a “despicable woman” who was “unworthy” of serving in Paraguay’s Congress. Mbappé wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that through her “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 added, “You do not represent Paraguay, the country that has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition.”
Amarilla had racially abused Mbappé, referring to him in one post as a “colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French, embittered, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly”, and claimed he was “scared to death” during the game.
These comments have sparked an angry response in France. The country’s sports minister, Marina Ferrari, labelled the remarks as “abject, disgraceful and all the more unacceptable coming from a politician”. French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the “racist attacks” directed at the France captain, with the Elysee Palace stating that the President “stands with Kylian Mbappe and the French team in the face of the racist attacks directed at the Bleus’ captain.”
The Paraguayan government issued a statement on Monday afternoon denouncing Amarilla’s remarks, declaring them “contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes.” The government further clarified that the senator’s comments do not represent either the Paraguayan government or the Paraguayan people.
Late Monday, Amarilla posted an open letter in French and Spanish to Mbappé on social media. In it, she stated her issue was with the player, not the country of France. She expressed regret for mistreating Mbappé with “the same insults” she has received as a mixed-race person and mentioned that she had deleted her original post. However, she also demanded an apology from Mbappé, accusing him of gender-based violence in his comments about her, and threatened legal action if he did not retract them.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also weighed in, stating on Instagram, “all of football and society stand in solidarity with the France captain — we need to fight racism and defeat it all together.”
Kylian Mbappé took to social media to condemn racist remarks made by a Paraguayan senator following the country's loss to France in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
