Racism against Mbappé, wave of rejection and threat of prosecution; understand the confusion between French star and Paraguayan senator

Paraguayan senator makes racist insults against French striker Kylian Mbappé
France eliminated Paraguay last Saturday (5), and the South American team reacted badly. They provoked the rival team's captain, Kylian Mbappé, who didn't hold his tongue and responded, still on the field.
After the 1x0, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla left the sporting tone aside and made racist attacks against the player. The insults provoked a wave of rejection and led authorities and sports organizations to come to the player's defense.
✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp
Celeste Amarilla was elected deputy of Paraguay in 2017, in a supplementary election, for the Authentic Radical Liberal Party. In 2023, she was elected senator for the term from 2023 to 2028. Since arriving in the Senate, Celeste has been known for controversial statements and frequent criticism of governments and political opponents.
Mbappé also did not let it go easily and, on his official account on X (formerly Twitter), retorted the policy and accused her of showing "the worst possible image" of Paraguay. The story gained a new chapter this Tuesday (07), with the rejoinder to the discussion and a promise of judicialization.
See the stages of the confusion
France's qualification to the quarter-finals of the World Cup already showed signs that the competition would not end on the four lines of the field. The only goal of the match was scored by Mbappé, from a penalty kick, guaranteeing France's place in the next stage of the competition.
The confrontation was marked by strong physical contact. After the final whistle, the French striker stated that he was already expecting a truncated game and said that his team also knew how to "play that type of football" when necessary. The statement had repercussions in Paraguay and fueled the tension that began during the match.
Signals exchanged
After 90 minutes, the players exchanged provocations. One of the most talked about moments occurred when Mbappé ignored an attempted greeting from Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill. The scene went viral on social media.
The episode divided opinions among fans and was treated by the Paraguayan press as a gesture of disrespect. At the same time, Paraguayan players countered the French striker's criticisms about the team's style of play.
"I don't think they're used to this game. In South America we're used to it. Today it was noticed that he got complicated by it. They don't like clashes, but that's football," said goalkeeper Orlando Gill, in the mixed zone after the match.
Politics comes into play
Hours after Paraguay's elimination, senator Celeste Amarilla published a series of attacks on Mbappé on the social network The senator also told Mbappé that the most educated thing the attacker heard were chimpanzees.
Initial plugin text
Kylian Mbappé was born in Paris in 1998 and was raised on the outskirts of the city. Son of a Cameroonian father and a French-Algerian mother, he began his career in the youth teams of AS Bondy before standing out at AS Monaco. In 2017, he was signed by Paris Saint-Germain, where he won several national titles and became the top scorer in the club's history. In 2024, he transferred to Real Madrid. With the French national team, he was champion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup at the age of 19, runner-up in 2022 and is considered one of the main players of his generation.
The statements provoked a strong reaction in France. The French Sports Minister classified the publications as "abject" and "racist", while the French Football Federation said it intended to sue the French Public Prosecutor's Office.
"The racist statements made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla against Kylian Mbappé are completely repugnant and unacceptable. How can such a speech be made? These statements are criminal and reprehensible. They must be processed here as anywhere else. The FFF is filing a complaint with the Public Ministry for the purposes of judicial prosecution," the entity said in a statement.
Read also:
President of FIFA says he "unequivocally condemns racist comments" about Mbappé
Government of Paraguay repudiates racist speech by senator against Mbappé and distances itself from the statements
France's technical committee treats racist attack against Mbappé as "shameful and scandalous"
Mbappé responds
On Monday (6), Mbappé responded directly to the senator. The captain stated that Celeste Amarilla was "a despicable woman and unworthy of the position" she holds and said that she did not represent Paraguay which, according to him, demonstrated "passion and honor" during the World Cup.
The attacker also stated that the parliamentarian's behavior had overshadowed the historic campaign of the Paraguayan team and declared that he would not allow people to spread "hate and racism" without reaction. The demonstration received support from French authorities and several athletes on social media.
Paraguayan senator makes racist insults against French striker Kylian Mbappé
Jornal Nacional/ Reproduction
Third half
Afterwards, Amarilla returned to social media to rebut Mbappé. reason for the public response received.
She also criticized statements made by Mbappé after the match, stating that she interpreted as offensive the Frenchman's speech about "putting his hand in the mud" to win the game. According to the senator, if the player does not redeem himself, she should take him to court.
Initial plugin text

Source: G1