Mbappé fires back at Paraguayan senator after racist abuse

n n

France’s forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between France and Sweden at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on June 30, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

n

Kylian Mbappé on Monday labelled a Paraguayan senator “despicable” and “not worthy of her position” after she racially abused the France captain on social media after the World Cup last-16 clash between the countries at the weekend.

n

Mbappé’s reaction came after Celeste Amarilla attacked the Real Madrid superstar in the wake of Saturday’s game in Philadelphia, a bad-tempered affair which France won 1-0.

n

“Mrs Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and not worthy of your position,” Mbappé wrote on X.

n

“You do not represent Paraguay, the country that has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition.

n

“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,” he added.

n

Amarilla racially abused Mbappé and in another post called him a “colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French, embittered, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly”, and accused him of being “scared to death” during the game.

n

The comments have provoked an angry reaction in France, with the country’s sports minister, Marina Ferrari, describing them as “abject, disgraceful and all the more unacceptable coming from a politician”.

n

Mbappé, whose father was originally from Cameroon before settling in France, scored the only goal of the game from a penalty in the second half, taking Les Bleus through to a quarter-final this Thursday against Morocco.

n

AFP

n n