France forward Kylian Mbappé has strongly condemned Celeste Amarilla after she made a series of racist remarks on social media targeting his background and education following Paraguay's defeat to France in the World Cup Round of 16.
Amarilla, a member of Paraguay's Liberal Radical Authentic Party, posted the controversial comments on X after France eliminated Paraguay from the tournament.
Mbappé responded in earnest.
"Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition. 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, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country," he wrote.
Mbappe further added that he would never allow her and others the chance to spread what he termed as hatred and racism.
Madame Celeste Amarilla,
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) July 6, 2026
Vous êtes une femme méprisable et indigne de sa fonction.
Vous ne représentez pas le Paraguay, ce pays qui a transpiré la passion et l’honneur tout au long de la compétition. Par votre inconscience et votre racisme décomplexé, le monde entier a déjà… pic.twitter.com/EnYmgQXvPL
The incident prompted a strong response from the French Football Federation, which announced it would pursue criminal legal action against Amarilla over the remarks.
In a statement, the FFF said, "These remarks are criminal and reprehensible. They must be prosecuted here as elsewhere. The FFF is reporting the matter to the public prosecutor's office with a view to legal proceedings.
"These remarks disgrace those who make them and those who disseminate them. The players of the French national team represent France; it is our country that is being insulted."
Mbappé converted the decisive second-half penalty in Saturday's victory over Paraguay, sending France into a World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Boston on Thursday.
The goal took his tournament tally to seven, leaving him tied as the competition's joint top scorer alongside Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
Amarilla's comments came shortly after former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert sparked controversy by claiming Paraguay would be facing "a squad from Africa."
The remarks drew criticism from Philippe Diallo, who described Chilavert as "a disgrace."
"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by Jose Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football," Diallo said.
"If he was once a great goalkeeper, this man has now fallen into disgrace."
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned what he described as the "racist attacks" directed at France's captain.
"The President of the Republic stands with Kylian Mbappé and the French team in the face of the racist attacks directed at the Bleus' captain," the Élysée Palace said.
The Élysée Palace added that Paraguay's president, together with the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had formally written to Macron to condemn the remarks made against Mbappé.