FIFA president condemns Kylian Mbappe’s racist abuse after row in Paraguay
France captain Kylian Mbappe has received the support of Gianni Infantino after the FIFA president condemned racist comments made by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarillo in which he called on football and society to unite against racism.
Infantino broke his silence on Tuesday after Amarilla launched a racist tirade against Mbappe following Paraguay’s 1-0 defeat by France in the World Cup quarter-finals. The France captain scored the decisive penalty in Philadelphia as Didier Deschamps’ side booked their place in the last four.
“I unequivocally condemn the racist comments directed at Kylian Mbappe by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarillo. All of football and society stand in solidarity with the France captain. We must fight racism and defeat it all together,” Infantino wrote on his Instagram.
The Paraguayan government also distanced itself from Amarilla’s statements, saying they did not reflect the country’s values or its official position. The State Department said in a statement that the senator’s comments were “contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity.”
It added that Amarilla’s remarks were made in her personal capacity and “in no way represent the position of the Government of the Republic of Paraguay or the Paraguayan people.”
Amarilla, a member of the opposition Liberal Party, described Mbappe as a “colonized Cameroonian” who “pretended to be French” and made several other racist and offensive remarks on social media. She also claimed that the Paraguay players should have slapped the France captain after the match.
Mbappe responded with an emphatic statement, he called Amarilla a “despicable woman” who was “not fit” to hold public office.
“You do not represent Paraguay, a country that sweated passion and honor during the competition,” wrote Mbappe.
“Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the whole world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort your players made during this World Cup.
“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism around the world.”
The French Football Federation announced it would file criminal charges, calling Amarilla’s comments “absolutely repugnant and unacceptable”.
“These statements are criminal and reprehensible. They must be prosecuted here as elsewhere,” the federation said, adding that the abuse was directed not only at Mbappe but also at France as a nation.
French assistant coach Guy Stephan also condemned the comments, calling them “shameful, disgusting, outrageous”.
Support for Mbappe also came from Emmanuel Macron, who praised the striker for standing up to racism.
“Another goal for Kylian Mbappe. This time against racism. All my support. When words get dirty, our values respond: dignity, respect, brotherhood,” Macron wrote on X.
Meanwhile, the president of the Paraguayan Congress, Basilio Nunez, dismissed Amarilla’s comments as not representing the “true values” of the Paraguayan people and insisted that politics and sports should remain separate.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
07 Jul 2026 11:27 IST