Mbappe condemns Paraguayan senator’s racist posts after France win

Kylian Mbappe has publicly condemned Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla after she posted racist remarks about him following France’s World Cup win over Paraguay, Al Jazeera reported. The dispute has drawn responses from French officials and put fresh attention on racism around football during the tournament.

France beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 on July 4 at Philadelphia Stadium, with Mbappe scoring the decisive penalty, according to Al Jazeera. Amarilla, a member of Paraguay’s Authentic Radical Liberal Party, then used X to target the France captain, Al Jazeera reported.

What Amarilla posted

According to Al Jazeera, Amarilla made several racist comments on Saturday about Mbappe, including remarks about his Cameroonian background, upbringing, appearance and education. The posts came after Paraguay’s elimination from the World Cup.

After criticism built into Monday, Amarilla published an open letter in French and Spanish addressed to Mbappe, Al Jazeera reported. She said she had removed the posts and regretted using “the same insults” she said she has faced as a mixed-race person.

Amarilla also accused Mbappe of “gender-based violence” over his response to her remarks, according to Al Jazeera. She demanded an apology and said she could take legal action.

Mbappe’s response

Mbappe answered Amarilla on Monday in a post on X that included her photo, Al Jazeera reported. He called her a “despicable woman” and said she was not fit for her office.

The French captain also said Amarilla did not represent Paraguay, praising the country’s team for what he described as passion, honor and a historic World Cup effort, according to Al Jazeera. He said her racism had shifted attention away from Paraguay’s players and that he would not allow people to spread hatred and racism globally.

Al Jazeera reported that many Mbappe supporters also criticized Amarilla in replies to his post.

French officials back Mbappe

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was visiting Syria, supported Mbappe’s response on X, Al Jazeera reported. Macron wrote that Mbappe had scored “one more goal,” this time against racism, and said the player had his full support.

French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari also condemned the remarks, according to Al Jazeera. She said an attack on Mbappe was an attack on what France’s captain represents and on the country’s values of liberty, equality and fraternity.

France assistant coach Guy Stephan described the episode as “indignant, abject, scandalous,” Al Jazeera reported.

Before the France-Paraguay match, former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert referred to the French national side as “a squad from Africa,” according to Al Jazeera.

Football’s wider racism problem

Al Jazeera noted that racist abuse has long affected footballers, especially players of African descent, in stadiums, among players and on social media. The report cited past cases involving Dani Alves, Romelu Lukaku, Vinicius Junior, and England players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

Those cases included racist abuse from fans, online harassment after missed penalties, and incidents that led to investigations, bans, arrests or convictions, according to Al Jazeera. The Mbappe-Amarilla dispute adds another political dimension to a problem football authorities and national teams continue to face.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.