Kylian Mbappé responds to racist comments from Paraguayan senator
Kylian Mbappé has launched a fierce rebuke against Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla following a series of racist social media posts directed at the France captain, reports BritPanorama.
The Real Madrid forward branded the politician “a despicable woman and unworthy of your position” in a statement published on X this evening. Amarilla, who represents Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, targeted Mbappé with offensive remarks after France eliminated her country from the World Cup on Saturday.
In his response, Mbappé stated: “You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honor throughout the competition.” He accused the senator of “brazen racism,” condemning her as “an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.”
Amarilla’s tirade began when she responded to reports that Mbappé had declined a handshake from Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after the match. On X, she wrote: “[Mbappé] is so dumb he didn’t even learn how to write; instead of mother’s milk he was sucking coconuts, and the most educated things he’s ever heard were chimpanzees.” She continued her attack on Instagram, labelling Mbappé a “Cameroonian, colonised, pretending hard to be French, bitter, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly.”
Amarilla also suggested the Paraguayan squad should have physically confronted Mbappé, stating: “The only thing many of us are complaining about with Albirroja is not having given him a slap across the face after the match ended.”
Madame Celeste Amarilla,
Vous êtes une femme méprisable et indigne de sa fonction.
Vous ne représentez pas le Paraguay, ce pays qui a transpiré la passion et l’honneur tout au long de la compétition. Par votre inconscience et votre racisme décomplexé, le monde entier a déjà… pic.twitter.com/EnYmgQXvPL— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) July 6, 2026
Amarilla boasted that she makes offensive gestures in the Senate without consequence. The French Football Federation swiftly backed its captain with a strongly worded statement, declaring her comments “utterly vile and unacceptable.”
The governing body announced it would pursue legal action against the senator, stating: “These statements are criminal and condemnable. They must be prosecuted here and everywhere.” The FFF expressed solidarity not only with Mbappé but with all those subjected to such abuse, emphasizing its commitment to fight racism and all forms of discrimination.
The controversy stems from Saturday’s tense last-16 encounter in Philadelphia, which France won thanks to Mbappé’s 70th-minute penalty kick. Paraguay’s tactics included aggressive defensive plays aimed at unsettling the French star.
Post-match tensions escalated when Gill hurled a ball at Mbappé’s back after the forward seemingly ignored his handshake attempt. Mbappé’s goal brought his tournament tally to seven, placing him level with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland as joint top scorers at the competition.
France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals in Boston on Thursday. The incident follows earlier controversial remarks from former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert, who described the French squad as “a squad from Africa” prior to Saturday’s match.
