Mbappe slams racism by Paraguay’s Amarilla at World Cup: What we know | Football News

EXPLAINER

Footballers of African descent are often subjected to racist abuse on and off the pitch.

French footballer Kylian Mbappe has hit back at a Paraguayan senator over racist remarks she made over the weekend in connection with Paraguay’s defeat in the World Cup by France.

Celeste Amarilla, a senator from the Authentic Radical Liberal Party, had taken several jabs at Mbappe after Paraguay’s 0-1 loss in the round of 16, thanks to the French captain’s winning penalty.

In a series of racist comments posted on X and aimed at the French striker on Saturday, Amarilla mocked his Cameroonian roots, as well as his upbringing, appearance and education.

Following backlash late on Monday, Amarilla posted an open letter in French and Spanish addressing Mbappe, saying she had deleted her posts and that she regretted using “the same insults” she herself has received as a mixed-race person.

However, she also accused Mbappe of “gender-based violence” against her in his response to her insults and has demanded an apology and threatened legal action.

In advance of Saturday’s match, former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert referred to France’s team as “a squad from Africa”.

Early on Monday, Mbappe hit back at the senator’s initial comments in a post on Twitter.

“Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position,” the footballer wrote in a post that included the senator’s photo.

In the comments, hundreds of Mbappe fans also took aim at Amarilla.

“You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honor throughout the competition. Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country. I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world,” Mbappe added.

How have others responded?

Politicians in France spoke out in support of Mbappe and condemned Amarilla’s remarks.

President Emmanuel Macron, currently visiting Syria, backed the footballer’s response to the insults. “One more goal for Kylian Mbappé. This time against racism,” Macron posted on X, adding that the captain had his “full support”.

French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari wrote on X: “By targeting Kylian Mbappé, the senator is attacking everything our captain embodies and everything our country stands for: liberty, equality and fraternity.”

“In three words, it’s indignant, abject, scandalous,” France assistant coach Guy Stephan said.

Racism has long been a stain that football has had to grapple with, both from fans in stadiums and from the realms of politics – including football politics.

Footballers of African descent have particularly been targeted by fans. Abuse has also come from fellow players at times. In the age of social media, footballers are even more vulnerable to online abuse. Here are a few well-known cases through the years:

• Dani Alves: In 2014, a fan threw a banana at the Afro-Brazilian defender during a La Liga match in Spain. Alves’s response was to calmly pick up the banana and eat it before continuing the match. However, the fan faced huge backlash online, and the incident prompted an antiracism campaign on social media.
• Romelu Lukaku: The Belgian striker who plays for SSC Napoli in Italy’s Serie A has faced multiple racist incidents through his career. Rival fans often gesture provocatively or make monkey-like noises when he appears. In April 2023, while playing for Inter Milan against Juventus, some in the crowd screamed hostile chants at him and made monkey noises. However, Lukaku was suspended for celebrating with an index finger to his lips, silencing the crowd after he scored a late-minute penalty. The referee claimed Lukaku “provoked” the crowd. His suspension was later overturned, and Juventus was hit with a partial stadium ban.
• Vinicius Junior: In May 2023, the Real Madrid and Brazil forward confronted fans who abused him at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium. The move led to historic criminal convictions and, eventually, prison sentences for the perpetrators. But it was just one of many times Vinicius was driven to complain about racist abuse. Once, a black mannequin wearing his shirt was hung from a bridge. More recently, in February 2026, he reported a mid-game racial slur from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, prompting a 10-minute halt during a high-profile Champions League game. While Prestianni denied the allegations, Vinicius’s teammates, including Mbappe, strongly backed him up. Prestianni was handed a six-game ban after investigations for making a homophobic slur. The incident prompted the International Football Association Board to institute a new policy before the World Cup: players who cover their mouths when speaking to opponents will now face a red card.
• Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho: The England players who are all of either Caribbean or African descent faced intense racist abuse online after they missed penalty kicks in the England-Italy final of the UEFA Euro 2020 Championships. British authorities investigated the incident, and at least 11 people were arrested.