​France captain Kylian Mbappé has spoken out strongly against Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla’s racist and abusive posts following Les Bleus’ 2026 World Cup last-16 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia, in which Mbappé’s decisive 70th-minute penalty secured victory. Although the match was hard-fought, tensions persisted after the final whistle as Amarilla used X to target Mbappé, describing him as “a colonised Cameroonian passing himself off as French” and labeling him an illiterate “brute.” Two days after the match, Mbappé responded, calling her a despicable woman unworthy of her position.
“You do not represent Paraguay, a country that has shown passion and pride throughout the tournament,” Mbappé wrote. “Through your reckless and brazen racism, the world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort your players achieved during this World Cup, which you undermine with an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.” Mbappé, who currently sits at the top of the World Cup goalscoring charts, added that he will not allow voices like hers to spread hatred and racism globally.
His remarks were supported by the Fédération Française de Football, which described Amarilla’s slurs as “utterly abhorrent and unacceptable” and said the matter has been referred to the public prosecutor’s office to consider legal action.