The controversy between France captain Kylian Mbappé and Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla following France’s 2026 FIFA World Cup victory over Paraguay has escalated, with the lawmaker threatening legal action unless the football star withdraws comments she described as offensive and issues an apology….
The controversy between France captain Kylian Mbappé and Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla following France’s 2026 FIFA World Cup victory over Paraguay has escalated, with the lawmaker threatening legal action unless the football star withdraws comments she described as offensive and issues an apology.
Amarilla made the demand in an open letter published on Monday night, days after both figures exchanged remarks on social media following France’s Round of 16 win over Paraguay.
The senator accused Mbappé of committing gender-based and political violence by allegedly describing her as “a despicable woman” who was unfit for public office.
“Retract your statements, honour your French citizenship, and apologise. Otherwise, I may pursue legal action for gender-based violence,” Amarilla wrote.
READ ALSO: You Are Despicable, Mbappé Condemns Paraguayan Senator Over Racism Claim
However, she admitted that her own earlier comments about the French forward were made in anger and acknowledged that some of the language she used was inappropriate.
Amarilla said she later deleted the posts after recognising that they contained insults she did not want to encourage, adding that the dispute should not be viewed as an attack on France.
“The problem is between you and me. I have never said anything against France. On the contrary, I stand with France,” she stated.
The Paraguayan senator also accused Mbappé of showing poor sportsmanship during and after the match, alleging that the France captain ignored goalkeeper Orlando Gill’s attempt to shake hands and celebrated in front of him following the decisive victory.
The dispute began after Mbappé scored the winning penalty that eliminated Paraguay and sent France into the World Cup quarter-finals.
Footage from the match showed Gill attempting to shake hands with Mbappé before throwing the ball away in frustration after the gesture was not reciprocated.
“I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper,” Gill said after the match.
Reacting to the goalkeeper’s comments on social media, Amarilla criticised Mbappé, describing him as “a colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French.”
Her comments sparked widespread backlash, with critics accusing her of making racist remarks.
Mbappé later responded on his X account, calling Amarilla “a despicable woman” and accusing her of making openly racist comments.
