Prosecutors in France have launched an investigation into a racist attack on Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator, with officials considering whether to pursue charges of aggravated public insult or incitement to hatred or violence.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the inquiry began after the French Football Federation (FFF) lodged a complaint with the national unit responsible for combating online hate.The controversy erupted after Paraguay’s painful defeat to France at the World Cup on Saturday.
Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay’s Liberal Radical party, unleashed a wave of racial abuse against Mbappé on social media following the match — remarks the FFF branded utterly unacceptable.
Amarilla mocked the France captain, whose decisive penalty had sent France through to the quarter-finals, using derogatory and racially charged language questioning his French identity and heritage. She also suggested Paraguay’s players should have physically retaliated against him after the game.
Mbappé Fires Back
Mbappé responded swiftly, condemning the senator directly and defending Paraguay’s football team, whom he praised for their passion and honour throughout the tournament. He argued that her outburst had overshadowed Paraguay’s remarkable World Cup run, accusing her of embarrassing her own country through what he described as reckless and blatant racism.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Paris prosecutor’s office indicated the comments appeared to target Mbappé based on his actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion. Such offences carry penalties of up to one year in prison and a fine of €45,000 (roughly $51,000).
As the backlash intensified globally, Amarilla published an open letter to Mbappé in French and Spanish, attempting to shift blame onto him for provoking her reaction, citing his conduct during the match and remarks he made about France playing “dirty” against Paraguay.
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She expressed regret for using against Mbappé the same insults she said she had personally endured as a mixed-race woman, and noted she had taken down her original post. However, much of her letter was devoted to criticising Mbappé’s response, demanding an apology, accusing him of gender-based aggression in his remarks, and threatening legal action if he refused to retract his statements.
Paraguay Distances Itself
The Paraguayan government moved quickly to disassociate itself from Amarilla’s comments, stating they clashed with the values of peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity the country upholds. Officials stressed her remarks did not reflect the position of the Paraguayan government or its people.
Reactions poured in from high-profile figures, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who voiced strong support for Mbappé and framed the moment as a stand against racism, emphasising values of dignity, respect and fraternity. Macron’s office also revealed that Paraguayan President Santiago Peña had personally written to him to condemn the senator’s remarks.
Meanwhile, France’s assistant coach, Guy Stephan, admitted he had not yet spoken with Mbappé about the incident but did not hold back in denouncing the senator’s conduct, calling it disgraceful and outrageous.