Mbappé Calls Out Paraguay Senator's Racist Attack Over World Cup Loss

Mixing devout fandoms with patriotism is a surefire way to rile up any sports lover when it comes to the World Cup, and now accusations of racism are starting to fly.

And it’s not just coming from any fan, but Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla.

It all began when France took on Paraguay on Saturday in the World Cup Round Of 16, and France came out on top. Amarilla decided to take her anger out on French captain Kylian Mbappé, with a fiery Instagram post describing him as a “colonized Cameroonian, desperately trying to ⁠pass himself off as French,” adding that he’s “resentful, arrogant and ugly.”

“He was nervous and scared stiff for the whole match,” she continued. “Just like the rest of his team. They couldn’t score a single goal, and they won by the skin of their teeth. The only thing many of us hold against the Albirroja is that they didn’t give him a good open-handed slap after the match was over. And I’m not even a football fan.”

The hatred spilled over to X, too, where she got even more personal, writing, “Bruto didn’t even learn to write; instead of mother’s milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated thing he heard was chimpanzees.”

Mbappé responded, taking the high road and acknowledging that her remarks aren’t held by the country she represents.

“Ms Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman, unworthy of your position,” he began. “You do not represent Paraguay, a country that has shown such passion and honour throughout the tournament. Because of your thoughtlessness and your blatant racism, the whole world has already forgotten the historic journey and effort your players made during this World Cup. It is now overshadowed by an incompetent woman who is presenting the worst possible image of her country.”

He ends the message with, “I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”

French Football Federation backed up its star captain, calling for legal action, with The Guardian reporting that she could be charged with aggravated public insult or incitement to hatred or violence.

Amid the controversy, Amarilla released an open letter, calling Mbappé arrogant and disrespectful and asking him to apologize.

She even addressed the comments in a press conference.

Either way, Paraguay is out of the tournament, and France looks to take on Morocco in the quarterfinals on July 9.

See social media’s reaction to the back-and-forth below.