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Mbappe threatened with prison: Inside the World Cup’s biggest diplomatic crisis
Updated: 20 Jul 2026 09:12 CDT |
6 min read
Analysis
Kylian Mbappe became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice, but a remarkable few weeks for the Real Madrid striker saw him threatened with prison in a diplomatic event that drew an intervention on his behalf from the UN.
The France attacker, who finished the tournament with ten goals, was branded a “son of a b****” following Les Bleus’ 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the last 16.
Indeed, the 1-0 win over Paraguay will go down as one of the tournament’s most infamous matches. Mbappe decided the game from the penalty spot, but the fixture was marred by a number of controversial refereeing decisions, with the South Americans facing accusations of taking gamesmanship to extreme lengths in a bid to rile their opponents.
Current ETV
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
ETV Range
€98.6M - €120.6M
Mbappe the victim of racist remarks
In the immediate aftermath of the final whistle, Mbappe ignored Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gil, who went towards him to shake hands, instead gleefully celebrating with the France fans having been the target of repeated provocations from the CONMEBOL side.
This in turn sparked an angry reaction from Paraguayan Senator Amarilla, who took to social media with a racist tirade against the Real Madrid forward.
“This idiot didn't even learn to write. Instead of suckling breast milk, he suckled on coconuts, and the most educated beings he'd ever heard of were chimpanzees,” she wrote on X.
“A Cameroonian, a product of colonialism, desperately trying to pass for French, resentful, nouveau riche, arrogant, and ugly. He was nervous and terrified throughout the entire match, just like his whole team; they didn't even manage to score a goal, they won thanks to a stroke of luck...”
This came against a backdrop of former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert proclaiming before the game that France was an “African team”.
Threatened with prison
The response from France was swift. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation against Amarilla for public insult, aggravated by the fact that it is pronounced on account of the origin, ethnicity, nation, race or religion, real or supposed, of the victim, as well as for public incitement to hatred or violence.
In response, she said: “I would tell Mbappe to read my letter; I wrote it in French and Spanish. I would tell Mbappe to read my letter, if he can read, and I would tell him to be wary of Paraguayans. Don't attack Paraguayans.
“Here, they put Ronaldinho in prison for a minor offence. Mbappe shouldn't underestimate me. I can hire a lawyer and I can file a complaint against him for gender-based violence and political violence against women. This is serious.”
Madame Celeste Amarilla,
Vous êtes une femme méprisable et indigne de sa fonction.
Vous ne représentez pas le Paraguay, ce pays qui a transpiré la passion et l’honneur tout au long de la compétition. Par votre inconscience et votre racisme décomplexé, le monde entier a déjà… pic.twitter.com/EnYmgQXvPL— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) July 6, 2026
Mbappe, meanwhile, responded via his social accounts.
“You are a despicable woman, unworthy of your position,” he said. “You do not represent Paraguay, a country that exuded passion and honour throughout the competition.
“Through your recklessness and blatant racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and historic effort your players made 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 to spread their hatred and racism around the world.”
Indeed, Amarilla’s words caught the attention of the UN, with High Commissioner spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan issuing a statement on the situation.
“The racist and dehumanising remarks against French footballer Kylian Mbappe by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla are despicable and, regrettably, not isolated. Reports of racist incidents during the FIFA World Cup 2026 reflect a wider phenomenon across football and sports more broadly,” he wrote.
“Public officials have a heightened responsibility to stand against racism, discrimination and hate speech in their discourse.”
Fresh attack on the France striker
Amarilla doubled down on her remarks prior to France’s clash with Morocco, this time taking to the platform of the Paraguayan Senate to criticise the forward.
“When Orlando Gil, a young man who was without doubt setting foot in the World Cup for the first time, who was probably discovering Europe for the first time, was playing in front of the whole world and extended his hand with all the humility of a Paraguayan, this son of a b**** refused to shake his hand and shouted in his face. That is not French. A Frenchman would never have done that,” she proclaimed.
“France is Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Rene Descartes, Montesquieu, Victor Hugo, Simone de Beauvoir, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. I refuse to reduce all of this immense France, as well as its immense cultural, artistic and democratic heritage, to Mbappe.”
When France were knocked out of the tournament by eventual champions Spain, Amarilla could not resist aiming another dig at the European nation, posting the 2-0 final score along with a gif of a young girl zipping her mouth shut.
The following day, she wore the red and gold of Spain, while her X account shows a series of anti-France retweets. One of them reads: “The most xenophobic team in the World Cup has been eliminated, the one that showed its worst side by belittling its rivals because of their nationality. The 14 African nations oppressed by the French are celebrating, the free world is rejoicing. The colonialists have lost, France have lost, ladies and gentlemen.”
What’s happening now?
Amarilla’s lawyer has claimed that she has been defamed by the France star, claiming: “Her message is not racist. It is a response to disrespectful behaviour and targets an individual, but at no point his skin colour or origin.”
They left open the possibility of "filing a complaint for slander and defamation".
In France, proceedings have started after the French FA referred the issue to the National Centre for Combating Online Hate. Amarilla, who reportedly visits France regularly on holiday, can be tried under these provisions, facing the possibility of a one-year prison sentence and a €45,000 fine.
For now, the legal process continues, while Amarilla has shown little sign of backing down. Until a verdict is reached, one of the most remarkable World Cup controversies of the social media age remains unresolved.
