France files criminal charges against Paraguayan senator over Mbappé racist abuse
France’s football federation announced on Monday it will file criminal charges against Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla de Boccia after she subjected Kylian Mbappé to a torrent of racist abuse on social media following France’s 1-0 World Cup victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday.
The French Football Federation (FFF) said in a statement that Amarilla’s remarks were “despicable and unacceptable,” adding that it would lodge a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office to pursue legal action against the senator. “I give my full support to our captain, the players and, more broadly, to all victims of such vile remarks,” FFF president Philippe Diallo wrote on X. “The players of the French national team represent France. It is our country that has been insulted here.”
Mbappé, who scored the winning penalty in the 60th minute, responded to Amarilla’s posts by calling her a “despicable woman” unworthy of her position in Paraguay’s Congress. “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,” he wrote on X. “You do not represent Paraguay, the country that has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition.”
Amarilla, a 61-year-old member of Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, had described Mbappé as a “colonised Cameroonian” who pretended to be French, “bitter, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly,” and accused him of being “scared to death” during the match. She also posted that he was “not even able to write” and had “sucked coconuts instead of mother’s milk.”
The outburst has triggered a wave of condemnation in France. Sports minister Marina Ferrari labelled the remarks “abject, disgraceful and all the more unacceptable coming from a politician,” while President Emmanuel Macron declared: “Another goal for Kylian Mbappé. This time against racism. I fully support him. When words hurt, our values strike back: dignity, respect, brotherhood.”
Paraguay’s government distanced itself from Amarilla’s comments, stating they were “contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes.” A foreign ministry communiqué emphasised that her remarks “reflect solely her individual responsibility” and “in no way represent the position of the government of the Republic of Paraguay or the Paraguayan people.”
Amarilla responded with an open letter in French and Spanish, saying her target was Mbappé personally rather than France. She claimed she regretted using the same insults she herself had received as a mixed-race person and said she had deleted her original posts. She demanded an apology from Mbappé, accusing him of gender-based violence in his response and threatening legal action if he did not retract his comments.
The incident has underscored tensions that flared during Saturday’s ill-tempered match, in which Mbappé was subjected to rough treatment and, after the final whistle, declined to shake hands with Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill while making a pointed gesture. Amarilla’s posts followed shortly after, escalating the controversy beyond the pitch into a diplomatic and sporting dispute.
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Articles
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bluesky_AFP English · about 4 hours ago
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la libre · about 7 hours ago
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