France defeated Paraguay 1-0 on July 4, 2026, in the World Cup round of 16, with Kylian Mbappé scoring the winning penalty in the 70th minute to advance to the quarter-finals [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Shortly after the match, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla posted racist attacks against Mbappé on social media, calling him a "colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French," a "brute" who had not learned to write, along with other racist insults [1, 2, 6, 7, 4, 8].

Mbappé responded strongly, calling Amarilla a "despicable woman and unworthy of her position" who did not represent Paraguay or its players, but rather spread hatred and racism that overshadowed Paraguay's historic World Cup effort [1, 2, 6, 7, 3, 8, 9, 5, 10]. He stated, "I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world" [1].

The French Football Federation (FFF) denounced Amarilla's remarks as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable" and declared plans to file criminal charges. The FFF said the remarks "bring shame upon those who make them and those who disseminate them" and stressed that the French players represent the country itself [2, 6, 7, 3, 8, 5]. French prosecutors opened an investigation into Amarilla on July 7 for possible charges of aggravated public insult or incitement to hatred, punishable by up to one year in prison and a €45,000 fine [6].

French President Emmanuel Macron publicly condemned the racist attacks, stating he stands with Mbappé and the French team in the face of this abuse [9, 10]. Paraguayan President and Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Amarilla’s remarks [9, 10]. Other Paraguayan politicians including Vice President Pedro Alliana and Congresswoman Johanna Ortega criticized the racist abuse, expressing solidarity with the French team. Alliana said football "should unite countries and people" with no room for discrimination, while Ortega voiced "solidarity and apologies to the French people" [5].

The incident comes amid a wider rise in racism at the 2026 World Cup, with players increasingly targeted by abuse both online and offline. Samuel Okafor, CEO of anti-racism group Kick It Out, noted that abusive behavior is being fueled by the political climate and increasing boldness among offenders [11].

The FFF’s criminal complaint and ongoing investigation mark the next step in addressing the abuse against Mbappé, as legal action proceeds against Amarilla [2, 6, 7, 3, 8].