French football star Kylian Mbappé lambasted Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla on Monday. Mbappé referred to Amarilla as “a despicable woman” and “unworthy of her position” after the latter issued racist comments towards him following France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16.
Amarilla, a Paraguayan senator, made the remarks about Mbappé, which quickly drew international attention. She described him as “a colonized Cameroonian, pretending to be French, resentful, newly rich, arrogant, and ugly” and made a series of derogatory statements about his upbringing and intelligence. She also suggested that Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill should have made an obscene gesture toward Mbappé and said the team should have slapped him at the end of the match. Amarilla added that she was “not even a football fan.”
Mbappé responded directly to Amarilla in a statement posted to social media.
“Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position,” Mbappé wrote. “You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honor throughout the competition.”
He said Amarilla’s conduct had unfairly overshadowed the achievements of the Paraguayan national team, which he praised for its performance throughout the tournament.
“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,” Mbappé wrote.
He vowed to continue speaking out against racism, saying he would not allow individuals like Amarilla to spread hatred unchallenged.
“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world,” Mbappé said.
France advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals with a 1-0 win decided by a penalty kick.
