Paris prosecutors have opened an Mbappé investigation into Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla. The inquiry follows a complaint from the French Football Federation over racist remarks the senator posted about the France captain after France beat Paraguay 1-0.
After France's 1-0 last-16 win over Paraguay, attention first fell on referee Tantashev and the card count in a bad-tempered match. That row has now been overtaken. The focus has shifted to a criminal inquiry in France.
Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla over racist remarks she made about Kylian Mbappé. The case began after the French Football Federation lodged a complaint.
Investigators are weighing whether Amarilla could face charges of aggravated public insult or incitement to hatred or violence. The Paris prosecutor's office said the remarks were allegedly tied to Mbappé's actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion.
Under French law, such offences can carry up to one year in prison and a fine of up to 45 thousand euros. French authorities can pursue crimes committed abroad in certain circumstances when French citizens were the victims.
The posts appeared after France's win against Paraguay, in which Mbappé scored the only goal from the penalty spot. Amarilla called him a "colonised Cameroonian" and questioned his intelligence, and suggested Paraguay's players should have physically confronted him after the final whistle. She has since deleted that post.
The Real Madrid forward answered directly on his X account. "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," he wrote.
Amarilla has not retracted her comments. She described Mbappé's reply as gender violence and threatened legal action of her own unless he apologised.
The French Football Federation called the remarks "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable" before referring the matter to prosecutors. French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA President Gianni Infantino both condemned the abuse.
Paraguay's foreign ministry distanced the government from Amarilla, saying her words ran "contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity". The country's government said the comments did not represent its people.
The United Nations human rights office also intervened. Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the remarks were "despicable and, regrettably, not isolated", adding that reports of racist incidents at the World Cup "reflect a wider phenomenon across football and sports more broadly".
Head coach Didier Deschamps insisted the storm had not unsettled his captain before the quarter-final against Morocco. "Kylian is in a good place mentally," he said.
Mbappé scored seven goals at this World Cup, one less than Messi, and on level with Erling Haaland. France meet Morocco at Foxborough Stadium, a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final.
