Mbappe rebukes Paraguay senator over racist social media posts after World Cup loss

WALTHAM, United States — France captain Kylian Mbappe sharply criticised Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla on Monday, saying she was unfit for office after she racially targeted him online following a fractious World Cup round-of-16 encounter between the two countries at the weekend.

The Real Madrid forward responded after Amarilla posted attacks against him in the wake of Saturday's 1-0 win for France in Philadelphia, a match played in a heated atmosphere.

"Mrs Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and not worthy of your position," Mbappe wrote on X. "You do not represent Paraguay, the country that has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition."

"Through your lack of awareness and your uninhibited racism, the entire world has already forgotten your team's run and historic effort at this World Cup," he added.

Amarilla directed racist remarks at Mbappe and, in another post, referred to him as a "colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French, embittered, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly." She also said he was "scared to death" during the game.

The comments triggered outrage in France. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari described them as "abject, disgraceful and all the more unacceptable coming from a politician."

Mbappe, whose father came from Cameroon before settling in France, scored the match's only goal from the penalty spot in the second half, sending Les Bleus into a quarter-final against Morocco this Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the "racist attacks" aimed at the national team's captain.

"The president of the Republic stands with Kylian Mbappe and the French team in the face of the racist attacks directed at the Bleus' captain," the Elysee Palace said.

The Elysee added that Paraguay's president has written to Macron to condemn the remarks, as has Paraguay's ministry of foreign affairs.