On Monday, striker Kylian Mbappé condemned the Paraguayan senator who made racist remarks against him following Paraguay's 0-1 loss to France in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, calling her 'unworthy of your position.'

The French national team captain said in a message posted on X: 'Ms. Celeste Amarilla, you are a woman unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, a country that showed passion and honor throughout the tournament. Because of your recklessness and blatant racism, the entire world has forgotten the campaign and historic effort your players made during this tournament, and only an incompetent woman who sullies her country's reputation remains.'

He added: 'I will never allow people like you to spread their hatred and racism around the world.'

Senator Celeste Amarilla had directed racist messages at Kylian Mbappé via her X account.

First official condemnation

French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari was the first to express her strong dismay over the 'hateful and racist' remarks.

Sports Minister Ferrari commented in a press release: 'I am extremely angry about the statements of Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla. France condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist insults of which Kylian Mbappé was the target.'

She added: 'These statements are hateful and shameful, and they are especially unacceptable coming from a political official. We will not remain silent in the face of racism... By attacking Kylian Mbappé, the senator is attacking everything our captain represents and everything our country stands for: liberty, equality, and fraternity.'

She affirmed giving 'full support to our captain, our coach, and the entire French team.'

Mbappé had led France to victory over Paraguay in a tense and rough match, scoring the only goal of the game from a penalty, securing the Blues' qualification for the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals.

The issue of Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev's leniency toward many unsportsmanlike actions by the South American players was a point of discussion.