Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla speaks at a press conference in Asuncion, Paraguay,on Tuesday, addressing the controversy over her remarks about French soccer player Kylian Mbappe and called on the French captain to retract comments he made in response. Photo by Juan Pablo Pino/EPA
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, July 7 (UPI) -- Comments by Paraguayan Sen. Celeste Amarilla that targeted France soccer captain Kylian Mbappé sparked an international controversy after Paraguay's government, French President Emmanuel Macron, FIFA and the French Football Federation publicly condemned her remarks.
The controversy began after France eliminated Paraguay from the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 victory, thanks to a score on a penalty shot by Mbappé.
After the match, Mbappé spoke to reporters about the attitude of the Paraguayan players on the field.
"We showed Paraguay that if they want to play dirty, we can play dirty, too. If we have to get our hands dirty, we will. They thought we were going to show up in tuxedos to play, but we know how to play dirty soccer, too," he said, prompting mixed reactions on social media.
