On July 6 local time, French star Mbappé wrote an article condemning a Paraguayan female senator for her racist remarks towards him. The Paraguayan government also condemned the senator, and French President Macron expressed his 'full support' for Mbappé in a statement.
On July 4th, in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the French team defeated Paraguay 1-0 to advance to the semi-finals. After the match, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilia made highly offensive comments about Mbappé on social media.
Amariola wrote: "The Cameroans who produce colonial goods are desperately trying to impersonate French people, filled with resentment and nouveau riche mentality. They are arrogant and ugly. Throughout the entire game, they were extremely nervous and scared; their team was no different. They couldn't even score a single goal, so their win was due to luck."
In another post, Amalia shared the message from Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Hill, who wanted to shake hands with Mbappé but was ignored. She said, “This jerk doesn’t even know how to write; he drinks coconut juice instead of breast milk. The most educated voice he ever heard came from a chimpanzee. Orlando Hill, you should have given him a pointing finger gesture. I do that in the Senate, and nothing happened!”
In response, Mbappé posted on social media directly stating, "Ms. Cesley-Therese Amarelilia, you are a contemptible woman, not worthy of your position."
Mbappe wrote: "You do not represent Paraguay—a country that brought passion and glory throughout the tournament. Due to your ignorance and reckless racism, the world has forgotten the historic journey and efforts of your players in this World Cup. Instead, there is a incompetent woman who has left the worst impression on her own country."
Later, Amalia issued a public letter, stating that she was targeting only Mbappe alone, not the country of France. She expressed regret over treating Mbappe with the same insults she had endured as a mixed-race person. It is worth mentioning that Amalia even demanded Mbappe to retract his statements on the grounds of gender violence against her, threatening legal action if he did not comply.
The Paraguayan government issued a statement condemning Amarilla's remarks, stating that they "violate the values and principles of peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country advocates." The statement added that the senator's remarks do not represent the Paraguayan government or the people of Paraguay.
The French Football Federation emphasizes that Amariola's statements are "despicable and absolutely unacceptable." The federation has reported the incident to the judicial authorities, requesting legal proceedings. "Such remarks are an insult to the players of the French national team, and they are an insult to France itself."
Macron also spoke strongly in support of Kylian Mbappé: "Kylian Mbappé will score another goal. This time it’s against racism. I fully support him."
