Prosecutors in France have opened an investigation into a racist attack directed at Kylian Mbappé by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla after comments she made following Paraguay's World Cup defeat against France. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed it had launched the inquiry after the French Football Federation (FFF) filed a complaint with the national unit responsible for tackling online hate.
Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay's Liberal Radical party, faced widespread criticism after posting a series of comments about Mbappé on social media. The remarks came after the France captain scored the decisive penalty that sent his team into the World Cup quarter-finals following a difficult match against Paraguay.
The senator described Mbappé as a 'colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French' and made further personal attacks against the forward. The FFF called her comments 'utterly abhorrent and unacceptable', while Mbappé responded by condemning her words and accusing her of damaging the reputation of Paraguay's national team and its achievements at the tournament.
France Opens Investigation Into Mbappé Attack
The Paris prosecutor's office said the investigation would examine whether Amarilla's comments could lead to charges of aggravated public insult or incitement to hatred or violence. Officials noted that the alleged remarks were made because of Mbappé's perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion.
The offences under consideration could carry a potential punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine of €45,000, which is around £39,000. The investigation began after the FFF submitted its complaint to France's national unit dedicated to fighting online hate.
Amarilla's comments were made shortly after Paraguay's defeat to France at the World Cup. In her social media posts, she criticised Mbappé and suggested Paraguay's players should have physically confronted him after the match.
Mbappé quickly responded to the senator's remarks, saying she was unworthy of her position and did not represent Paraguay. He also argued that her comments had overshadowed the efforts of Paraguay's players during the tournament.
'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,' Mbappé wrote on social media.
The France captain added that her comments had shifted attention away from Paraguay's performance during the World Cup. He said, '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.'
France's president Emmanuel Macron was among those who publicly supported Mbappé after the incident. Macron described the forward's response as another victory against racism, writing that 'when words smear, our values respond: dignity, respect, fraternity'.
Senator Attempts To Defend Her Comments
After facing international criticism, Amarilla published an open letter in French and Spanish addressing Mbappé. She said she regretted attacking him and claimed she had deleted the original post.
The senator attempted to explain her comments by referring to her anger over Mbappé's behaviour during the match. She also mentioned comments about France abandoning their 'tuxedos' and playing 'dirty football' against Paraguay.
Amarilla said she had repeated insults that she herself had received as a mixed-race person, but her statement also criticised Mbappé's response. She questioned his right to describe her as 'indignant' or 'despicable' and accused him of using gender-based violence in his reaction.
She also demanded an apology from the footballer and threatened legal action if he did not withdraw his comments. Her response, however, did not stop the criticism surrounding her original remarks.
The Paraguayan government moved to distance itself from Amarilla's comments, stating that they did not represent the views of the government or the people of Paraguay. Officials described the remarks as being against the values of peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity.
Paraguay's president Santiago Peña also contacted Macron to express support and condemn the senator's statements, according to Macron's office.
Mbappé's France teammates and staff also criticised Amarilla's comments. France assistant coach Guy Stephan said he had not yet spoken directly with Mbappé about the incident but strongly condemned the senator's words.
'In three words: it's disgraceful, vile, outrageous,' Stephan said.
The investigation will now determine whether Amarilla's remarks meet the legal threshold for charges in France. The controversy has continued to draw attention away from the football itself, despite Paraguay's efforts during the World Cup.
