Kylian Mbappé has publicly condemned a Paraguayan senator as "despicable" and "not worthy of her position" after the politician directed racist abuse at the France captain on social media following their World Cup last-16 encounter.
The attack came from senator Celeste Amarilla in the aftermath of Saturday's heated match in Philadelphia, which France won 1-0. Mbappé, who scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot, wasted no time in responding.
"Mrs Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and not worthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, the country that has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition. Through your lack of awareness and your uninhibited racism, the entire world has already forgotten your team's run and historic effort at this World Cup,"Mbappé wrote on X, as cited by France 24.
In her posts, Amarilla had racially abused the Real Madrid forward and described him as a "colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French, embittered, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly," while also accusing him of being "scared to death" during the match.
The remarks triggered an immediate backlash in France. Sports minister Marina Ferrari described the comments as "abject, disgraceful and all the more unacceptable coming from a politician."
French President Emmanuel Macron also weighed in, with the Élysée Palace issuing a statement of solidarity: "The President of the Republic stands with Kylian Mbappé and the French team in the face of the racist attacks directed at the Bleus' captain."
The diplomatic fallout extended beyond France. The president of Paraguay wrote to Macron to personally condemn the senator's remarks, and Paraguay's ministry of foreign affairs also communicated its disapproval to the Élysée.
Mbappé, whose father originates from Cameroon and settled in France before the star's birth, converted the decisive penalty in the second half to secure Les Bleus' passage to the World Cup quarter-finals. France now face Morocco on Thursday, with a semi-final berth on the line.
