Paraguayan lawmaker calls for Mbappé to say sorry, warns of potential lawsuit

Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla has penned an open letter to French football captain Kylian Mbappé, calling on him to retract his criticism of her and issue an apology, or else face potential legal action for what she claims constitutes "gender-based violence."

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Amarilla's letter was released just hours after the two engaged in a war of words following France's victory over Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, a match during which Amarilla made comments about Mbappé's African heritage that sparked widespread outrage.

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In her letter, Amarilla stressed that her dispute is with Mbappé alone, and not with France, a country whose culture she claims to have long admired, stating "The problem is between you and me, I have never said anything against France, on the contrary, I stand with France."

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Amarilla took issue with Mbappé's behaviour before and during the match, accusing him of arrogance and alleging that his comments and actions towards Paraguayan players and goalkeeper Orlando Gill were offensive to the people of Paraguay.

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She specifically cited Mbappé's refusal to shake Gill's hand after the match and his decision to celebrate his victory in the goalkeeper's face as examples of the French captain's "contempt" for Paraguay's players.

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Amarilla acknowledged that her own social media posts in response to Mbappé were made "in the heat of the moment" and were later deleted, as she realised she had responded with insults that she herself finds objectionable, writing "I immediately regretted responding to you with the same insults that I myself receive."

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Despite this, Amarilla maintained that Mbappé's response, in which he called her "a despicable woman" unworthy of her office, was unacceptable, asking "I am a Senator of the Paraguayan Nation, elected by the people, who are you to call me unworthy or despicable when you do not even know me?"

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Amarilla further alleged that Mbappé's remarks constituted "gender-based violence" and "political violence against a woman", urging him to withdraw his comments and apologise, warning "Retract your statements, honour your French citizenship, and apologise, otherwise, I may pursue legal action for gender-based violence."

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The controversy surrounding Mbappé and Amarilla erupted after France's victory over Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, a match that ended with a tense altercation between the two teams after the final whistle.

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Following the match, videos appeared to show Mbappé walking past an attempted handshake from Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill, with Gill subsequently throwing the ball at the French forward, later explaining "I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper."

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In response to a video of Gill recounting the incident, Amarilla described Mbappé as "a colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French", prompting Mbappé to react via his X handle on Monday, calling the senator "a despicable woman" and accusing her of "brazen racism".

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French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA President Gianni Infantino also weighed in on the controversy, condemning Amarilla's remarks and expressing solidarity with Mbappé.