Mbappe blasts Paraguay senator’s ‘despicable’ racist World Cup posts

Kylian Mbappe has hit out at a Paraguayan senator, branding her “despicable” and “unworthy” of her office after she posted racist comments mocking his background and education following Paraguay’s World Cup exit.

Celeste Amarilla, a member of Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, made the remarks on X after her country’s last-16 defeat by France at the 2026 World Cup. Mbappe scored the winning penalty in the second half of Saturday’s tie, sending France through to a quarter-final against Morocco in Boston on Thursday.

Responding directly to the senator, Mbappe wrote: “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 honour throughout the competition.”

He continued: “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.”

Second racism row involving France in as many days

Amarilla’s comments came just days after former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert made his own controversial remarks in the build-up to the fixture, describing France’s squad as “a squad from Africa”.

Those comments were swiftly condemned by French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo, who did not hold back in his response. “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.”

The BBC reports that both incidents have overshadowed what had otherwise been a memorable World Cup run for Paraguay, who reached the knockout stages before being eliminated by France.

Mbappe among the tournament’s top scorers

On the pitch, Mbappe’s penalty against Paraguay took his tally for the tournament to seven goals, level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Norway’s Erling Haaland at the top of the World Cup 2026 scoring charts. The France forward had already netted twice apiece in fixtures against Senegal, Iraq and Sweden before his crucial spot-kick against Paraguay.

Attention will now turn to France’s quarter-final against Morocco in Boston on Thursday, with Mbappe expected to lead the line once again as Didier Deschamps’ side look to reach the last four.

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