Paraguay fell 1-0 to France in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, with a penalty by Kylian Mbappé sealing the elimination. Up to that point, it was just football.
But Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla decided to go much further. On X she wrote a racist message against Mbappé in which she called him a “colonized Cameroonian pretending to be French”, along with other insults.
Mbappé did not stay silent: he called her a “despicable woman unworthy of her office” and made clear that she does not represent Paraguayans. French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari spoke of “abominable” comments.
The French Federation announced legal action, and even Macron himself came out to back his captain. The Paraguayan government had to publicly distance itself from its own senator.