A high-profile international row erupted following France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla published a series of highly derogatory, racist social media posts targeting French captain Kylian Mbappé, prompting a swift counter-response from the footballer, an official French criminal probe, and a major diplomatic fallout
The Incident
Following the match on July 4, 2026, where Mbappé scored the decisive winning penalty, Senator Amarilla took to Instagram and X to mock Mbappé’s African heritage, education, and appearance. In her posts, she labeled the 27-year-old a “colonized Cameroonian pretending to be French,” called him a “brute [who] never even learned to write,” and claimed he “sucked on coconuts” instead of breast milk
The Backlash and Responses
- Kylian Mbappé: On July 6, the France forward posted a strongly worded rebuke on X, calling Amarilla a “despicable woman and unworthy of your position”. He added that her “brazen racism” had overshadowed the historic World Cup run made by Paraguay’s actual players.
The French Government: French President Emmanuel Macron publicly backed Mbappé, writing on social media, “One more goal for Kylian Mbappé. This time against racism”. French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari added that by targeting the captain, the senator attacked the core French values of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
The Paraguayan Government: In an effort to mitigate diplomatic fallout, the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vice President Pedro Alliana released statements firmly distancing the country from the senator, emphasizing that her comments “in no way represent the position of the Government” or the values of the Paraguayan people
Legal Escalation
The French Football Federation (FFF) labeled the senator’s remarks “utterly abhorrent and unacceptable” and immediately filed a formal complaint with France’s national unit for combating online hate. Consequently, on July 7, 2026, Paris prosecutors opened an official criminal investigation into possible charges of aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred or violence. Because the victim is a French national, French authorities retain jurisdiction to investigate offenses committed abroad, which carry a penalty of up to one year of imprisonment and a €45,000 fine.
Amarilla’s Reversal and Counter-Demand
Following widespread international condemnation, Amarilla deleted the offensive posts and issued an open letter. While she expressed regret for using slurs in the “heat of the moment,” she dramatically reversed course by demanding a public apology from Mbappé and threatening legal action against him. She claims that Mbappé’s response calling her a “despicable” and “incompetent” woman constitutes gender-based political violence and sexism. Despite French legal action moving forward, Amarilla has publicly maintained that France has no legal basis to pursue a case against her.
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