France captain Kylian Mbappé has condemned Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla after she allegedly posted racist comments about him following France’s 1-0 World Cup Round of 16 victory over Paraguay.
Mbappé, who scored the decisive penalty in Saturday’s match in Philadelphia, described Amarilla as a “despicable woman” and said she was unworthy of her position in Paraguay’s Congress.
“Mrs 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,” Mbappé said in a statement posted on social media.
He said Amarilla’s comments had overshadowed Paraguay’s performance at the tournament.
“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,” he said.
“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”
Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, reportedly made the remarks after Paraguay’s elimination from the tournament. Her comments triggered widespread condemnation, with Paraguay’s government distancing itself from the legislator and stressing that her views did not represent the country or its people.
The French Football Federation has also condemned the remarks, describing them as unacceptable and indicating that it would pursue legal action.
The incident comes amid continued concern over racism in football, with players, governing bodies and anti-discrimination groups repeatedly calling for stronger action against abuse directed at players on and off the field.
France progressed to the World Cup quarter-finals after Mbappé’s penalty secured the narrow victory over Paraguay.
