France is considering legal action after Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla allegedly made racist remarks about France captain Kylian Mbappé following France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
According to ESPN, Mbappé condemned the comments in a post on X, describing Amarilla as “a disgrace to public office” and accusing her of promoting hatred and racism. The French Football Federation (FFF) also denounced the remarks as racist and unacceptable, saying it intends to pursue legal action.
The controversy followed France’s win on Saturday, with Mbappé scoring the decisive penalty in the 70th minute. After the match, he praised his team’s resilience against a disciplined Paraguayan side.
Amarilla also allegedly accused the Real Madrid forward of refusing to shake hands with Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. In response, Mbappé said the senator’s remarks had overshadowed Paraguay’s achievements at the tournament, adding that “there is no place for hatred or racism in football.”
Paraguay’s Vice President Pedro Alliana and lawmaker Johanna Ortega publicly condemned the remarks, with Ortega apologising to the French people. Mbappé has now scored seven goals at the tournament, level with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, as France prepares to face Morocco in the quarter-finals on July 9.
