Mbappé labels Paraguayan senator despicable after racist attack

Paris‑based French Football Federation (FFF) announced it will pursue criminal charges against Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla after she posted a racially charged tirade targeting France’s striker Kylian Mbappé on the social‑media platform X. In the post, Amarilla described Mbappé as a “colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French” and called him a “brute who had not learned to write,” urging that Paraguay’s players should have physically confronted him after the match.

Mbappé responded on the same platform, labeling Amarilla a “despicable woman” and rejecting her accusations. The exchange followed France’s 1‑0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday, a result that secured the French side’s progression to the quarter‑finals of the tournament. The FFF’s decision to file charges underscores the governing body’s stance against hate speech directed at players, while the incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding race and nationality in international sport.