Mbappe’ blasts Paraguayan senator over racist comments: ‘A despicable woman unworthy of her position’

France captain Kylian Mbappé has issued a blistering response to Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla after she posted a series of racist attacks against him on social media, following France’s 1-0 Round of 16 victory over Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup.

The controversy erupted after Mbappé, who scored the match-winning penalty, declined to shake hands with Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill at the final whistle—a gesture that sparked Amarilla’s fury. In a series of posts on X, the senator, a member of Paraguay’s Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), unleashed explicitly racist invective targeting the French captain.

“This brute hasn’t even learned to write. Instead of breastmilk, he grew up sucking on coconuts, and the most educated creatures he ever heard were chimpanzees,” Amarilla wrote. “You should’ve given him the middle finger, Orlando Gill. I do it in the senate and nothing happens.”

In a separate post, she added: “A colonized Cameroonian, pretending to be French, resentful, newly rich, arrogant, and ugly. He was nervous and scared to death all game, like his whole team. They didn’t even manage to score a single goal until they got lucky with a penalty. The only thing many of us blame the team for is not giving him a full-handed slap at the end of the game.”

Mbappé’s Unflinching Response

The French captain, who has scored seven goals in the tournament to lead all scorers, did not remain silent. In a statement posted on X, he delivered a scathing rebuke:

“Madame Celeste Amarilla, You are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honor throughout the competition.”

“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.”

“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”

French Government Condemns ‘Abject’ Remarks

French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari swiftly condemned the senator’s comments, saying she was “absolutely scandalized” by the remarks.

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist attacks targeting Kylian Mbappé,” Ferrari said in a statement. “These remarks are abject, unworthy, and all the more unacceptable because they come from a political official. In the face of racism, we will not remain silent. By attacking Kylian Mbappé, the senator attacks everything our captain embodies and everything our country stands for: liberty, equality, and fraternity.”

A Tournament Marred by Racist Incidents

The incident adds to a growing list of racism-related controversies at the 2026 World Cup. Earlier, former Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert had already sparked outrage by referring to the French team as an “African selection.” The match was also marked by allegations of insults directed at France coach Didier Deschamps’ deceased mother from the Paraguayan bench.

The comments from Amarilla, a sitting senator, have drawn particular condemnation given her status as a public official. Critics have pointed to the contrast between Mbappé’s global stature and the nature of the attacks, while anti-racism advocates have noted that the language echoes long-standing racist tropes directed at Black athletes, especially those representing European nations with diverse backgrounds.

FIFA and UEFA have repeatedly pledged to crack down on discriminatory behavior, though enforcement has remained inconsistent. Neither FIFA nor the Paraguayan Football Association had issued an official response at the time of publication.