French Footballer Responds to Paraguayan Senator's Remarks After World Cup Match

French footballer Kylian Mbappe posted a reply on social media early Monday after a Paraguayan senator made remarks about his background following Paraguay's 0-1 loss to France in the World Cup round of 16 on July 4. The senator, Celeste Amarilla of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party, had posted comments on X mocking Mbappe's Cameroonian roots, upbringing, appearance, and education.

Mbappe wrote that Amarilla was "a despicable woman and unworthy of your position" and added that he would not allow people to spread hatred and racism.

Amarilla later posted an open letter in French and Spanish.

She said she had deleted her posts and regretted using "the same insults" she has received as a mixed-race person. She also accused Mbappe of gender-based violence and said she would seek legal action.

Macron posted support for Mbappe, writing that the footballer had scored "one more goal" against racism. French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari stated that the senator was attacking values of liberty, equality, and fraternity. " Former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert had referred to France's team as "a squad from Africa" before the match.

The article notes several past cases of racist abuse directed at footballers of African descent. In 2014 a fan threw a banana at Dani Alves during a La Liga match. Romelu Lukaku faced hostile chants and monkey noises at a 2023 Serie A match. Vinicius Junior confronted fans at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium in 2023 and reported a racial slur in February 2026.

England players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho received online abuse after missing penalties in the Euro 2020 final.