Overview
- A Paraguayan senator posted a series of openly racist messages on X about France captain Kylian Mbappé after Paraguay’s 1–0 World Cup defeat, using demeaning metaphors including references to “noix de coco” and “chimpanzés.”
- Mbappé answered the posts on X, calling the senator contemptible and unworthy of her office and accusing her of “racisme décomplexé.”
- The Fédération Française de Football made a formal report to the public prosecutor, a procedure known in France as a signalement au parquet that can prompt an official investigation but does not itself bring charges.
- Senior French figures including the sports minister and FFF leaders publicly condemned the remarks as racist and unacceptable, and the FFF’s president said the report aims at securing judicial follow-up.
- The episode amplifies recurring problems of racism around the tournament, risks diplomatic and legal fallout for the senator, and should be watched for whether prosecutors open a probe or bring formal charges.