In the wake of Paraguay’s last-16 World Cup exit at the hands of France, a firestorm of controversy has erupted over targeted racist remarks against French superstar forward Kylian Mbappe, drawing sharp condemnation from both the player and the French Football Federation (FFF).
Celeste Amarilla, a senator representing Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, took to social platform X to share mocking comments about Mbappe’s ethnic origin and educational background after France secured a narrow victory over the South American side. Mbappe, who scored the winning penalty in the match to punch France’s ticket to the quarter-finals, delivered a blistering public rebuke of the senator’s words.
Calling Amarilla a despicable figure completely unfit for public office, Mbappe emphasized that the senator does not represent the values of Paraguay itself — a nation whose players fought with honor and passion across the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. He argued that Amarilla’s reckless, open racism has overshadowed the historic achievements of the Paraguayan squad, turning global attention instead to the bigoted comments of an incompetent politician who has tarnished her country’s global reputation. Mbappe made clear he would not stand by to allow hatred and racism to spread unchallenged on the world stage.
The FFF has echoed Mbappe’s condemnation, announcing it will move forward with filing criminal charges against Amarilla, describing her remarks as utterly abhorrent and unacceptable. In an official statement, the governing body stressed that such comments are both criminal and morally reprehensible, requiring legal prosecution regardless of jurisdiction. The FFF has formally referred the matter to public prosecutors to initiate legal proceedings, noting that these racist insults target not just Mbappe, but the entire French nation represented by the national team. “These remarks bring shame upon those who make them and those who disseminate them,” the statement added.
Mbappe’s decisive penalty against Paraguay capped another strong tournament performance for the French forward, who entered the quarter-final stage of the 2026 World Cup tied as the tournament’s leading goal scorer with seven goals, level alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Norway’s Erling Haaland. France was set to face Morocco in their quarter-final fixture in Boston just four days after the knockout win over Paraguay.
Amarilla’s comments are not an isolated incident, either: ahead of the France-Paraguay tie, former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert drew widespread criticism for his own racist comment, claiming the Paraguayan side was facing “a squad from Africa.” That remark also drew a fierce response from FFF president Philippe Diallo, who labeled Chilavert a disgrace to the sport. “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.”