Kylian Mbappe faces a possible court case after a Paraguayan politician responds with a strange claim about Ronaldinho.
Paraguayan politician Celeste Amarilla has responded after making offensive racist remarks about France’s star player, Kylian Mbappe.
On Saturday, France secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals with a close 1-0 win over Paraguay. Mbappe scored a late penalty at Philadelphia Stadium, and France will face Morocco in the next round on Thursday evening.
Sadly, the joy from the match was overshadowed by Amarilla’s upsetting comments. She, a member of Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, posted racist insults about Mbappe’s background on social media after her country lost.
Mbappe reacted strongly, condemning her words in a statement: “You do not represent Paraguay, a country that showed so much passion and honor in this World Cup. Your careless and racist remarks have made people forget the hard work of your team. I won’t let people like you spread hate and racism.”
The French football federation also said they plan to take legal action against Amarilla, calling her remarks “completely unacceptable.”
Despite the backlash, Amarilla didn’t back down. She posted an open letter asking Mbappe to apologize for what she called his aggressive response. She explained, “My posts were made in the heat of the moment. I’m proud of my mixed Indigenous and Spanish heritage, and I was angry. Later, I regretted using insults like those I’ve faced. I deleted the post because I realized it was wrong. I expect Mbappe to apologize to me and take back his words. Calling me a despicable woman is unacceptable—it’s gender-based and political violence against a woman elected by her people.”
Amarilla even warned Mbappe he could face legal trouble, mentioning former footballer Ronaldinho’s one-month jail stay in Paraguay in 2020 for using a fake passport. She told local media, “I hate injustice and discrimination. I don’t hate the French or Africans, and I’m not racist. I have the right to file a complaint. If Mbappe can read my letter, he should be careful—Ronaldinho was jailed here, and I can sue him for gender and political violence if he doesn’t apologize.”
So far, neither Mbappe nor the French football federation has responded to Amarilla’s latest statements.