‘Despicable and unworthy of her office’: Mbappé blasts Paraguayan senator's racist remarks amid media firestorm

The battle on the field has moved to social media and the news, and is now a matter of national importance. The French soccer star, Kylian Mbappé, responded to the racist remarks made by a Paraguayan senator from the opposition party, calling her a “despicable person unworthy of her office.” The player’s reaction comes amid a heated controversy over the France 1-0 Paraguay over the Guaraní national team’s style of play, Mbappé’s own gestures after the match, the referee’s performance, and a social media and French media war against the Guaraní nation.

"Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, a country that has exuded passion and honor throughout the entire tournament. Because of your recklessness and unabashed racism, the entire world has already forgotten the historic run and effort your players achieved during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who presents the worst possible image of her country. I will never allow people like her to have the freedom to spread their hatred and racism around the world,” Mbappé said on “X.”

Amarilla’s deplorable remarks, also posted on “X” in several tweets, were as follows: “The brute didn’t even learn to write; instead of breast milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated thing he ever heard was from chimpanzees”; "You should have flipped him off, Orlando Gill; I do it in the Senate and nothing happens"; "A colonized Cameroonian, trying really hard to pretend to be French, resentful, a nouveau riche, arrogant, and ugly. He was nervous and scared out of his wits the whole game, just like his entire team; they couldn’t score a single goal—they won by a fluke.”

The incident has sparked all kinds of reactions, especially in Paraguay, where citizens, journalists, analysts, lawmakers, and even the national government itself have come out to condemn Amarilla’s remarks.

"The Government of the Republic of Paraguay deplores and rejects the remarks made by Senator Celeste Amarilla, directed at the captain of the French national team, Kylian Mbappé, which run counter to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes," the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry stated in a press release. "Paraguay is a democratic republic governed by the principle of the separation and independence of the branches of government, and in this context, the statements made by the aforementioned legislator reflect solely the exercise of her individual responsibility as a member of the Legislative Branch and in no way represent the position of the Government of the Republic of Paraguay or the Paraguayan people."

In France, the outrage reached French President Emmanuel Macron, who publicly backed Mbappé: “Another goal for Kylian Mbappé. Against racism this time. My full support. When words tarnish, our values respond: dignity, respect, fraternity.”

The media, lawmakers, and countless French citizens also spoke out to support the captain of the French national team and harshly criticize Amarilla, who, in turn, is facing strong criticism from her fellow Paraguayans and the Paraguayan media.

A Complex Context

Amarilla’s comments against Mbappé came at a highly tense moment, amid a war of words between the Paraguayan and French press and on social media between the French and Paraguayans themselves following the World Cup match where, ultimately, France won thanks to a penalty kick by the Real Madrid star.

The French were frustrated by the Guaraní team’s defensive, physical, and disruptive approach, which managed, for most of the match, to contain the World Cup’s best offense with an impenetrable defensive system that only succumbed due to a self-inflicted error in the box. There was also outrage over the refereeing, as many felt the referee was excessively lenient with the Paraguayan players, who managed to disrupt the French rhythm with physical challenges, shoving, and constant tactical fouls that frustrated the French players.

That outrage was echoed in the French sports press: L’Équipe gave Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev a score of just 1 out of 10, clarifying that the rating was not due to “misunderstood chauvinism,” but rather because the referee called only 13 fouls in favor of France despite a string of shoves and hidden blows against Mbappé, Koundé, and Upamecano. The controversy also spilled over into the media, with the 1998 World Cup champion and commentator for RMC, Christophe Dugarry, describing the Paraguayan style of soccer as “prehistoric” on the program ‘After Foot’ and stating live on air that he never wants to see the Albirroja on television again, in remarks that went viral via the After Foot account.

Many media outlets in France labeled the Guaraní national team “anti-soccer” and “savage,” ultimately prompting a response from the Paraguayans, who labeled the French “whiners” and “hypocrites”, sparking a full-blown social media war that has raged for several days and pitted many Europeans against South Americans—and vice versa.

The episode is reminiscent of one from four years ago, when the Netherlands and Argentina faced a similar situation during the 2022 World Cup. That match, also very tense and controversial, created friction between both sets of fans, and ultimately, much of South America rallied behind the Argentines, just as Europeans did for the Dutch.

In any case, Mbappé himself tried to calm things down a bit with his post, not only calling out Senator Amarilla’s racist remarks but also acknowledging, in part, the “passion and honor exuded throughout the entire competition” demonstrated by Paraguay.