France striker Kylian Mbappe has strongly condemned Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla for a racist attack on him following Paraguay's elimination from the World Cup. Mbappe, the France captain, described Amarilla as a "despicable woman and unworthy of your position" in a statement Monday, defending himself and the Paraguayan players.
"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," Mbappe wrote on X. "I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world."
Amarilla had posted a racist tirade on X, referring to Mbappe as a "colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French," and a "brute" who had not learned to write. She also suggested that Paraguayan players should have physically confronted Mbappe after the match.
The French Football Federation (FFF) announced it plans to file a criminal complaint, calling Amarilla's remarks "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable." The federation stated that such comments are criminal and must be prosecuted, adding that the players of the French national team represent France, and thus the country itself was insulted.
The Paraguayan government issued a statement to "deplore and reject the statements" made by Amarilla, asserting that they are contrary to the country's promoted values of peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity. The government clarified that the senator's statements were her individual responsibility and did not represent the position of the Paraguayan government or its people.
French President Emmanuel Macron's office confirmed that the Paraguayan president had written to him to express support and condemn Amarilla's remarks. Macron also posted on X, offering his support to Mbappe, stating, "When words smear, our values respond: dignity, respect, fraternity."
Basilio Nunez, the leader of Paraguay's National Congress, also rejected the comments, calling them racist, xenophobic, and inciting violence. He emphasized that the Paraguayan national team played with honor and grit and that politics and sports should remain separate.
France's assistant coach Guy Stephan called the remarks "disgraceful, vile, outrageous."
Mbappe's decisive penalty secured France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay in a contentious match on Saturday, advancing France to the World Cup quarter-finals.