Overview
- After Paraguay lost to France, senator Celeste Amarilla posted repeatedly racist insults about Kylian Mbappé on X that drew swift public condemnation and a direct reply from Mbappé calling her 'méprisable' and unfit for office.
- The French Football Federation filed a complaint and the Paris prosecutor’s office’s Pôle national de lutte contre la haine en ligne opened an inquiry for aggravated public insult and public incitement to hatred or violence.
- Paraguay’s government publicly disowned Amarilla’s remarks, saying they reflect only her personal views and condemning the language as contrary to national values.
- Amarilla then published a long open letter that mixed partial regret with renewed accusations against Mbappé and threats of legal action, keeping the dispute public and politicized.
- Legal experts warn the investigation may be slow because French magistrates must seek cooperation from Paraguayan authorities and because Amarilla’s parliamentary immunity could limit or complicate prosecutions.