Paraguayan Senator, Celeste Amarilla, has issued an open letter to France captain Kylian Mbappé, demanding that he withdraw his criticism of her and apologise or risk legal action over what she described as “gender-based violence.”
The letter was released hours after the two publicly clashed following France’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 victory over Paraguay.
The dispute stemmed from Amarilla’s comments about Mbappé’s African heritage, which sparked widespread backlash.
In the letter published on Tuesday, Amarilla stressed that her disagreement was solely with the French forward and not with France, a country she said she has always admired.
“The problem is between you and me. I have never said anything against France. On the contrary, I stand with France,” she wrote.
The senator accused Mbappé of behaving arrogantly before and during the match, claiming his conduct towards Paraguayan players and goalkeeper Orlando Gill was disrespectful to the South American nation.
She alleged that the France captain showed “contempt” for Paraguay’s players, ignored Gill’s attempt to shake hands after the match and celebrated the victory in front of the goalkeeper.
Amarilla admitted that the social media posts which triggered the controversy were made in the heat of the moment and said she later deleted them after reflecting on her actions.
“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.
Despite expressing regret over her own comments, Amarilla argued that Mbappé’s response crossed the line. She criticised him for calling her “a despicable woman” and questioning her suitability for public office.
“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 further claimed that Mbappé’s remarks constituted “gender-based violence” and “political violence against a woman,” insisting he should retract the comments and issue an apology.
“Retract your statements, honour your French citizenship, and apologise. Otherwise, I may pursue legal action for gender-based violence,” she said.
The controversy began after Mbappé scored the decisive penalty that secured France’s place in the World Cup quarter-finals at Paraguay’s expense.
Tensions escalated after the final whistle when videos appeared to show Mbappé walking past Gill’s attempted handshake before the Paraguayan goalkeeper threw the ball at the France star.
Speaking after the game, Gill explained the incident.
“I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper,” Gill said after the match.
Responding to a video of Gill describing the exchange, Amarilla referred to Mbappé as “a colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French.”
Mbappé, in a post on his X account on Monday, described the senator as “a despicable woman” and accused her of engaging in “brazen racism.”
The senator’s earlier comments were also condemned by French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, both of whom expressed support for Mbappé.
