French football star Kylian Mbappé has become embroiled in a war of words with Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla after the ill-tempered end to the 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match between their countries.
France edged Paraguay 1-0 thanks to a Mbappé penalty in a fiercely contested encounter in which the South American side employed a highly physical approach, prompting repeated complaints from the French players.
Mbappé appeared visibly frustrated after the final whistle. He refused to shake hands with Paraguayan goalkeeper Orland Gill, with whom he had exchanged words during the match.
“If we have to put our hands in the shit, we’ll put our hands in the shit. Paraguay thought we’d show up in tuxedos, playing beautiful attacking football. We know how to play dirty too. That’s how they play,” Mbappé said after the match.
Amarilla responded with a racist post on X, calling Mbappé “a colonized Cameroonian” who “pretends to be French,” as well as a “resentful, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly man” who had been “scared throughout the match.”
