PARAGUAYAN SENATE BACKS MBAPPE AMID AMARILLA'S SUE THREATS

The diplomatic row surrounding France captain Kylian Mbappé has deepened after Paraguay's Senate formally condemned racist remarks made by Senator Celeste Amarilla, even as the lawmaker continued attacking the football star and threatened to sue him.

The controversy, which erupted after France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, has grown far beyond football, drawing reactions from political leaders, FIFA, the French Football Federation (FFF), Real Madrid and Paraguay's own government.

Mbappé scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot to send France into the quarter-finals. However, emotions remained high after the final whistle when the French forward appeared to walk past Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill without shaking his hand, an incident that sparked criticism among some Paraguayan supporters.

Shortly afterward, Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay's Authentic Radical Liberal Party, posted a series of racist messages targeting Mbappé on social media. She referred to him as a "colonized Cameroonian" and mocked his heritage, education and appearance.
Commenting on a photograph of Mbappé celebrating in front of Gill, she wrote: "That brute never even learned to write. Instead of breast milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated creatures he ever listened to were chimpanzees."

The remarks triggered global outrage, prompting widespread condemnation from football authorities, politicians and anti-racism campaigners.
Mbappé responded quite calmly, describing Amarilla's comments as both "despicable" and "racist."
"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.
"I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world."

The dispute quickly escalated into a diplomatic issue with French President Emmanuel Macron publicly backing Mbappé ;
"Another goal for Kylian Mbappé. Against racism this time. All my support. When words defile, our values respond: dignity, respect, fraternity."

The French Football Federation also joined terming Amarilla's remarks as "criminal" and "reprehensible. "
It added that insults directed at Mbappé were also insults against the French national team and the country it represents.

Real Madrid, Mbappé's club, likewise condemned what it described as "deplorable racist and xenophobic remarks" directed at the forward.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also weighed in, saying:
"I unequivocally condemn the racist remarks made against Kylian Mbappé by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla.
"The entire football world and society stand in solidarity with the France captain: we must fight racism and defeat it together."

Facing mounting international criticism, Paraguay's government distanced itself from Amarilla's comments, saying they were contrary to the country's commitment to peaceful coexistence, respect for human dignity and the fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination.

The uproar forced Amarilla to delete her original social media posts and publish an open letter in French and Spanish addressed to Mbappé. While expressing regret over some of her language, she insisted she had been criticising the player rather than France and claimed she had responded with insults similar to those she had experienced as a mixed-race woman.

She also demanded an apology from Mbappé for calling her "despicable" and accused him of gender-based and political violence.
"I was wronged and had sufficient reason to file a complaint."
She added:
"I would tell (Mbappé) to read my letter, if he can read, and I would tell him to be careful with Paraguayans. Ronaldinho has already been imprisoned here, and he shouldn't underestimate me; I can sue him for gender violence and political violence. He should apologize to me."
Her remarks referenced Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho, who was detained in Paraguay in 2020 after entering the country using a false passport.

The latest twist came on Wednesday when Paraguay's Senate spent nearly five hours debating a motion on the controversy.
By majority vote, lawmakers approved a resolution expressing their "absolute rejection" of racism and discrimination while making it clear that Amarilla's remarks did not represent the institution or the Paraguayan people.

Despite the motion, Amarilla remained defiant during the debate.
She again insulted Mbappé, calling him a "son of a b****" over his failure to shake Gill's hand after the match.

Senate President Basilio Núñez firmly rejected Amarilla's argument terming the posts as 'terrible.'
"We must show racism the red card," he added.

The incident has become one of the biggest off-field stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, overshadowing Paraguay's impressive run to the knockout stage and shifting global attention toward racism, discrimination and accountability in football.

France, meanwhile, is attempting to keep its focus on the tournament. Mbappé heads into the quarter-final against Morocco as one of the competition's leading scorers alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

While the battle for World Cup glory continues on the pitch, the tournament has also been overshadowed by allegations of racism and claims of bias against African teams. Among the incidents that sparked debate was Argentina's Round of 16 clash against Egypt, where some fans alleged biased officiating against the African side—claims that FIFA has firmly denied.

Although the allegations stem from separate incidents, they have once again highlighted that football's fight against racism and discrimination remains far from over.