Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla has demanded an apology from France captain Kylian Mbappé and warned that she could pursue legal action after a public dispute that followed France’s victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The controversy began after France progressed to the quarter-finals, with Mbappé scoring the decisive penalty in a tense encounter that ended with an exchange involving Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
Gill later explained the incident, saying, “I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper.”
Amarilla subsequently made a racist remark concerning Mbape’s African heritage on the episode in a social media post that sparked widespread criticism.
Amarilla in her post which she says she later deleted described Mbappé as “a colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French.”
In his reaction Mbape referees to Amarilla as “a despicable woman unworthy of her position.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and French President Emmanuel Macron later condemned her remarks and expressed support for Mbappé.
In an open letter released on Tuesday, the senator said her disagreement was with Mbappé and not France, a country she said she has long admired.
“The problem is between you and me. I have never said anything against France. On the contrary, I stand with France,” she wrote.
Amarilla accused the football star of showing disrespect towards Paraguayan players during and after the match. She also said she regretted her own reaction and deleted her earlier post.
“I immediately regretted responding to you with the same insults that I myself receive. I realised I was repeating the very behaviour I despise, so I deleted the post,” she wrote.
However, she objected to Mbappé’s response and questioned his criticism of her.
“I am a Senator of the Paraguayan Nation, elected by the people. Who are you to call me unworthy or despicable when you do not even know me?” she asked.
The senator further alleged that the comments amounted to “gender-based violence” and “political violence against a woman,” and called on the France captain to retract them.
“Retract your statements, honour your French citizenship, and apologise. Otherwise, I may pursue legal action for gender-based violence,” she said.
The dispute has continued to attract international attention, with reactions from political and football figures following the World Cup encounter.
