​The controversy surrounding Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla and France’s captain Kylian Mbappé intensified throughout the week, culminating on Friday with Amarilla’s claim that her Instagram account had been hacked. The dispute began in the wake of France’s hard-fought 1-0 Round of 16 World Cup victory over Paraguay, when Amarilla directed a string of inflammatory posts at Mbappé. She labeled him a “colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French” and described him as a “brute who had not learned to write,” among other provocative remarks.
Mbappé responded with a forceful rebuttal, calling Amarilla a “despicable woman” who was “unworthy of her position” and accusing her of “brazen racism,” according to The Mirror US. The incident followed a separate racist attack aimed at France by a Paraguayan football figure that drew widespread condemnation, adding to the charged atmosphere surrounding the exchange.
The fallout grew quickly. French prosecutors opened a formal investigation into Amarilla’s comments after a complaint from the French Football Federation, outlining potential offenses that could carry up to one year in prison and a €45,000 fine ($51,367.50). FIFA president Gianni Infantino also condemned the remarks, stating that “all of football and society stand in solidarity with the France captain.” In parallel, Paraguay’s Senate distanced itself from Amarilla’s statements, clarifying that her remarks did not reflect the chamber’s position, and the Paraguayan government likewise sought to dissociate itself from her comments.
International institutions joined the chorus of criticism as well. The United Nations human rights office and the World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued statements denouncing Amarilla’s remarks. Amid the surging backlash, Amarilla’s rhetoric grew more ambivalent. In one social media post, she expressed regret for using insults she herself had endured as a mixed-race woman, while also demanding an apology from Mbappé and threatening legal action, arguing that his responses amounted to “gender-based violence” and “political violence against a woman.”
In subsequent remarks to reporters, Amarilla acknowledged that her original comments “were racist” and “unfortunate,” yet she stopped short of issuing a full apology, stating instead that she was “trying to build a different Celeste Amarilla.” She maintained her intention to pursue legal action against Mbappé, informing a Paraguayan broadcaster that she might sue him, with her attorney suggesting a possible claim of criminal defamation under Paraguayan law.
As the week progressed, Amarilla continued to post material criticizing Mbappé, including references to his missed penalty, while also alleging that her social media had been hacked. Despite the hacking claim, she pressed on with her messaging about Mbappé, fueling ongoing controversy and leaving questions about the true origin of the posts and the full scope of the legal and political ramifications still in play.