France soccer star Kylian Mbappe condemned a Paraguayan senator after she posted racist insults about him on social media following France's victory over Paraguay in the World Cup Round of 16, calling her "despicable" and saying she had tarnished her country's image.
Mbappe, who converted the decisive penalty kick after a scoreless match to send France into the World Cup quarterfinals, responded Monday to comments by Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party. She mocked his appearance, intelligence, and African heritage in a series of posts on X after Paraguay's elimination.
Angered by claims that Mbappe ignored a postmatch handshake from Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill, Amarilla posted on X: "This brute hasn't even learned to write; instead of mother's milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated thing he heard were chimpanzees."
She escalated her rhetoric in subsequent posts, writing that Mbappe is "a colonized Cameroonian pretending to be French," while adding, "The only thing many of us blame Albirroja for is not giving him a slap in the face at the end of the match."
Amarilla was referring to Paraguay's nickname, La Albirroja, which means the white and red.
Mbappe called Amarilla "a despicable woman unworthy of her office" in a post on X and said her comments "give the worst possible image" of Paraguay, adding that the South American nation deserved to be remembered for its team's spirited World Cup performance rather than "the racist outbursts of a politician."
"I won't allow people like you to spread hatred and racism with complete impunity," Mbappe wrote.
Paraguay's government distanced itself from Amarilla's statements, saying they did not represent the Paraguayan people or the country's commitment to equality and human rights.
The French Football Federation also condemned the senator's remarks and announced it would file a legal complaint with French prosecutors, calling the posts "criminal" and incompatible with the values of French soccer.
French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari backed Mbappe, saying attacks on the national team captain were also attacks on the values of "liberty, equality, and fraternity." French President Emmanuel Macron likewise voiced support for the striker and denounced racism.
The incident overshadowed Paraguay's deepest World Cup run in years and renewed attention on racism in international soccer, an issue Mbappe has repeatedly addressed after previously speaking out against discriminatory abuse directed at himself and teammates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.