France eliminated Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup with a penalty by Kylian Mbappé. What came afterward was far more serious than the result: Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla posted racist comments against the French captain, and Mbappé responded by calling her a “despicable woman” and “unworthy” of her office.
That is when José Luis Chilavert stepped in. The legendary goalkeeper, winner of the 1994 Copa Libertadores with Vélez Sarsfield, came out to defend Amarilla on X and accused Mbappé of calling a Paraguayan footballer a “son of a b…”, while also reminding him of Christophe Dugarry’s past criticism of Paraguay. His message has already surpassed 560 thousand views.
The French Football Federation described Amarilla’s remarks as “absolutely abhorrent” and announced a formal complaint. The Paris prosecutor’s office is investigating the case over the alleged racial nature of the insult, while President Emmanuel Macron himself publicly came out in support of Mbappé.