Paraguayan Senator, Celeste Amarilla, has written an open letter to Kylian Mbappé. She wants the France captain to take back his criticism of her and apologise. If he doesn't, she may take legal action for what she calls “gender-based violence.”
The letter comes shortly after the two had a heated exchange. This followed the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between France and Paraguay. During that game, Amarilla made comments about Mbappé’s African roots that many people condemned.
In the letter, Amarilla made it clear that her issue is with Mbappé, not France. She said she has always admired France and its culture. “The problem is between you and me. I have never said anything against France. On the contrary, I stand with France,” she wrote in a letter released on Tuesday.
The senator accused Mbappé of being arrogant before and during the match. She claimed that his comments and behaviour towards Paraguayan players and their goalkeeper, Orlando Gill, hurt Paraguay’s pride.
Amarilla said Mbappé showed “contempt” for Paraguay’s players. She said he refused to shake Gill’s hand after the match and celebrated right in front of him.
Amarilla admitted that her earlier posts on social media were made “in the heat of the moment.” She later deleted those posts after realising she had used insults she does not agree with.
“I immediately regretted responding to you with the same insults that I myself receive. I realised I was repeating the very behaviour I despise, so I deleted the post,” she wrote.
Still, she said Mbappé’s reaction, where he called her “a despicable woman” unworthy of her position, was not right. “I am a Senator of the Paraguayan Nation, elected by the people. Who are you to call me unworthy or despicable when you do not even know me?” she asked.
She also claimed that Mbappé’s words were “gender-based violence” and “political violence against a woman.” She urged him to take back his comments and apologise.
“Retract your statements, honour your French citizenship, and apologise. Otherwise, I may pursue legal action for gender-based violence,” she said.
The issue started after Mbappé scored the penalty that put France in the quarter-finals, knocking out Paraguay.
The match ended with a short fight after the final whistle. Videos showed Mbappé ignoring a handshake attempt from goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who threw the ball at him.
“I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper,” Gill said after the match.
In response to a video of Gill talking about the incident, Amarilla called Mbappé “a colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French.”
On Monday, Mbappé reacted on his X account. He called Amarilla “a despicable woman” and accused her of “brazen racism.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA President Gianni Infantino also spoke out against the senator’s earlier comments. They showed their support for the France captain.
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