French forward Kylian Mbappe has made an explosive social media post, which has become the centre of all controversies in this FIFA World Cup.
On Monday (July 6), Mbappe took to social media and blasted a post condemning a woman named Celeste Amarilla. He also uploaded the image of the woman, calling her 'A Despicable Woman'.
Who is Celeste Amarilla?
Celeste Josefina Amarilla Goitia, born on October 21, 1964, in San Juan Bautista, Paraguay, is a lawyer and politician. She has served as a national senator for the Authentic Radical Liberal Party since June 2023. Before entering the Senate, she held positions as a deputy for Asunción and various local government roles in finance and social affairs. She is known for an outspoken style on social media and has faced previous
political scrutiny, including a suspension from the lower house in 2020 after making allegations about parliamentary misconduct.
What is the controversy of Celeste Amarilla?
Amarilla became the center of international criticism following Paraguay's round-of-16 match against France on July 4-5. France won 1-0, with Kylian Mbappe scoring the only goal from a penalty. The encounter was competitive and physical, ending with some tension on the pitch. Reports noted that Mbappe did not shake hands with Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill at the final whistle, which some observers viewed as disrespectful.
Shortly after the defeat, Amarilla posted a series of messages on X criticizing Mbappe. Her comments went beyond sportsmanship to include explicit racial stereotypes and personal insults. She called him a "brute" who "hasn't even learned to write," claiming that "instead of breastmilk, he grew up sucking on coconuts, and the most educated creatures he ever heard were chimpanzees. "
She suggested the goalkeeper should have given him the middle finger. In follow-up posts, she described Mbappe as "a colonized Cameroonian, pretending hard to be French, resentful, newly rich, arrogant, and ugly," adding that he and the French team appeared "nervous and scared to death" and won only by luck.
These statements invoked colonial tropes and questioned his French identity based on his Cameroonian heritage through his father.
Kylian Mbappe blasts Racist Comments on Social Media
The remarks quickly spread and drew widespread condemnation as blatant racism. On July 6, Mbappe issued a direct public response on X. Addressing her by name and attaching her official portrait, he stated:
"Madame Celeste Amarilla, You are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition. Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country. I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world. "
Madame Celeste Amarilla,
- Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) July 6, 2026
Vous êtes une femme méprisable et indigne de sa fonction.
Vous ne représentez pas le Paraguay, ce pays qui a transpiré la passion et l’honneur tout au long de la compétition. Par votre inconscience et votre racisme décomplexé, le monde entier a déjà… pic.twitter.com/EnYmgQXvPL
The French Football Federation strongly condemned the senator's words as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable," describing them as criminal and reprehensible. The federation announced it would file a formal report with prosecutors.
France's Sports Minister expressed similar outrage, affirming that the country condemns such racist attacks with the greatest firmness. Media outlets across Europe and beyond highlighted the incident as an example of racism without restraint, noting how it overshadowed the sporting context.
It is to be seen if any steps are taken against Amarilla, whose grotesque comments have not just damaged her reputation, but has put her nation Paraguay into shame.
