The United Nations Human Rights Office has condemned racist remarks made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla against France captain Kylian Mbappé, describing the comments as "despicable" and warning that racism remains a persistent problem in football.
The condemnation came as FIFA reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on racism and discrimination, saying it had already opened an investigation into a separate racist incident involving popular streamer IShowSpeed during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a statement on Tuesday, UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said Amarilla's comments reflected a broader pattern of racial abuse in football.
"The racist and dehumanising remarks against French footballer Kylian Mbappé by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla are despicable and, regrettably, not isolated," Al-Kheetan said.
He added that reports of racist incidents during the FIFA World Cup reflected a wider problem across sports.
