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 face possible legal action over what she described as “gender-based violence.”
The demand follows a heated exchange after the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay, where Amarilla’s comments about Mbappé’s African heritage sparked widespread backlash.
In her letter, Amarilla stressed that her dispute was with Mbappé personally and not with France, a country she said she respects and admires.
“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 showing disrespect towards Paraguay during and after the match, claiming the forward displayed “contempt” towards Paraguayan players and goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
She alleged that Mbappé refused to shake Gill’s hand after the final whistle and celebrated France’s victory in a manner she considered disrespectful.
Amarilla also admitted that some of her earlier social media comments were made in the heat of the moment and said she later deleted them after recognising that she had responded with words she considered inappropriate.
