Paraguayan politician Celeste Amarilla threatening French superstar Kylian Mbappe with legal action and even prison time. Photo: Lente Desportiva

The controversy erupted in the wake of France's narrow 1-0 win against Paraguay at the Philadelphia Stadium. Kylian Mbappe secured the decisive goal with a late penalty, propelling France into the semi-finals where they are scheduled to face Morocco on Thursday evening. Following the match, Celeste Amarilla, a politician from Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, posted a series of racist remarks on social media, mocking Mbappe's origin and education.

Mbappe was quick to condemn Amarilla's comments, issuing a powerful statement. "You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition," Mbappe stated. "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." The French Football Federation echoed Mbappe's sentiments, describing Amarilla's remarks as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable" and confirming plans to file criminal charges against her.

Politician demands apology, cites Ronaldinho

As highlighted by SPORTbible, Amarilla later released an open letter demanding an apology from Mbappe for his "aggression." She initially expressed regret for her own "heat of the moment" posts, stating, "My posts were written in the heat of the moment. My mixed-race blood, the beautiful blend of Indigenous and Spanish heritage that runs through my veins, was boiling. Later, I regretted responding with the same insults that I myself have received."

However, her tone quickly shifted as she demanded Mbappe retract his remarks and apologise, threatening legal proceedings.

Amarilla's threats intensified in comments to Paraguayan media, where she referenced the past imprisonment of Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho. "Ronaldinho has already been imprisoned here and he shouldn’t underestimate me, I can sue him for gender violence and political violence. He should apologise to me," Amarilla declared, alluding to Ronaldinho's one-month stint behind bars in Paraguay in 2020 for holding a forged passport. She framed Mbappe's comments as "gender-based violence" and "political violence against a woman who reached her position through the votes of her people," asserting her right to pursue legal action if Mbappe does not comply.

As of now, neither Kylian Mbappe nor the French Football Federation have issued a response to Amarilla's latest demands and threats.