Overview
- The dispute began after France beat Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16 on Saturday when Kylian Mbappé taunted opponents and declined to shake hands with Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
- Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla posted explicit racist insults about Mbappé on social media, calling him a “colonised Cameroonian” and using other demeaning language.
- Mbappé publicly denounced Amarilla as “a despicable woman,” the French Football Federation filed a formal complaint, and French prosecutors opened a criminal investigation under laws that carry possible prison time and a monetary fine.
- Amarilla briefly deleted posts and said she regretted her comments, later claimed her Instagram was hacked, and then doubled down in the Paraguayan Senate by repeating insults, demanding an apology from Mbappé, and threatening legal action against him.
- Paraguay’s government and Senate leaders publicly rebuked Amarilla, and the case now has diplomatic and legal stakes with potential consequences for Paraguayan politics and international relations as the French probe proceeds.