France in new diplomatic storm after Mbappe threatened with prison

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FT Desk

Kylian Mbappe is making just as many headlines off the pitch at the 2026 World Cup as on it this summer, following a high-profile spat with a Paraguayan politician who made racist remarks towards the France star.

Now, there's been another issue with an Argentine politician concerning Les Bleus.

The Round of 16 fixture between France and Paraguay was a fiery affair, with the South American side taking to the 'dark arts' throughout the game - going down to easily, time-wasting and committing a raft of fouls on their opponents.

Remarkably, no Paraguay player received a booking despite their treatment of the Frenchmen, Mbappe in particular.

The Real Madrid forward did his best to smile his way through the game but emotions ran high after France won 1-0, thanks to his penalty, as he celebrated in the faces of a few Paraguay players and ignored the handshake request of goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

That sparked an outrageous response from Paraguayan politician Celeste Amarilla, who made several racist remarks on X.

“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.

“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...”

Mbappe responded to the senator on X, saying:

"Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition.

"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 (FFF) has confirmed it intends to pursue legal action against Amarilla, stating that his comments were "completely unacceptable" and deeply offensive.

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

French authorities responded quickly, with the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office launching an investigation into Amarilla. The inquiry centres on allegations of public insult motivated by the victim's actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion, as well as accusations of publicly inciting hatred or violence.

If found guilty, Amarilla could face a prison sentence of up to one year and a maximum fine of €45,000.

She responded by actually threatening Mbappe with prison:

“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.”

Another politician set to be punished

An Argentine politician by the name of Hebe Casado has been punished after making racist remarks about Mbappe and the France squad on X.

The deputy governor of Mendoza was declared "non grata" by the French Embassy after she made references to France being an "African" team and also said that she did not "support" Mbappe.

Romain Nadal, the French ambassador to Argentina, said "the racist character is in no doubt" relating to Casado's remarks and said that they disqualified Hebe Casado "to work at the embassy or participate in meetings where the embassy would be present". He added that there was "no room for racism in Franco-Argentine cooperation".

He told the Argentine newspaper Clarin that "the French team is not great despite its diversity, but thanks to it".

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also gave a racist speech about the origin of French players ahead of the semi-final between Spain and France on Tuesday, but his comments were condemned by a number of players in the Spanish squad.