France striker Kylian Mbappe has hit back at a Paraguay senator over racist remarks targeting his origin and education.
Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party senator, Celeste Amarilla, made the remarks on X after her team lost to France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash.
The Real Madrid forward took to X to respond with a strongly worded statement that quickly drew widespread attention.
“Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position,” he said.
“You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition,” he continued
He criticized the senator for making racist remarks while praising Uruguay’s efforts in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
“Through your 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, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country,” Mbappe said.
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“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”
Meanwhile, the French Football Federation (FFF) has also announced that it is filing criminal charges against Celeste Amarilla
“These remarks are criminal and reprehensible. They must be prosecuted here as elsewhere. The FFF is reporting the matter to the public prosecutor’s office with a view to legal proceedings,” the federation said in a statement.
“These remarks bring shame upon those who make them and those who disseminate them. The players of the French national team represent France; it is our country that is being insulted,” it added.
For context, Mbappé, who has netted seven goals in the tournament, scored a winning penalty against Paraguay in the second half to set up a quarter-final clash against Morocco in Boston on Thursday.
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The 27-year-old is also level with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, with all three players having scored seven goals.
Amarilla’s comments came after former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert sparked controversy with remarks about France ahead of the match.
“A squad from Africa”, Chilavert said, referring to the French national team.
His remarks drew criticism, with FFF president Philippe Diallo calling the goalkeeper a ‘disgrace.’
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by Jose Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football,” Diallo said.
“If he was once a great goalkeeper, this man has now fallen into disgrace,” he added.
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