Paraguayan senator rejects calls to apologise to Mbappe over racial abuse

Paraguayan senator, Celeste Amarilla, has said that she stands by her decision to chastise Les Bleus captain Kylian Mbappé over her racial comments targeting the superstar.

After the skipper scored a penalty to help his side ease past Paraguay in the Round of 16, they will face Morocco in the quarter-finals.

After the game, Paraguay goalkeeper, Orlando Gill, stretched forth his hand to shake Mbappé's, but the French star ignored him, thereby triggering comments from the senator considered to be racial abuse.

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The Paraguayan government condemned the comment. The French Football Federation, the European Union, and even the player himself also did, and pressure mounted on the senator to issue an apology.

Though she accepted that the post was racist, she insisted that the post which has since been deleted does not justify Mbappé's unsporting behaviour.

She has consequently indicated that she would not succumb to pressure to apologise.

"Yes, my post against Mbappé was racist, that's why I deleted it. It was unfortunate. However, I will not apologize. I said what I had to say. I come from a society where gays were beaten and where calling someone a 'shtty ngger' was the most usual thing. I come from that generation, so now I'm trying to build a different Celeste Amarilla, that's capable of co-existing with others. Have patience, I'm trying," she said.

Read the tweet below:

🚨 Celeste Amarilla: "YES, my post against Mbappé WAS RACIST.

That's why I deleted, it was unfortunate.

However, I will NOT apologize, I said what I had to say.

I come from a society where gays were beaten and where calling someone a sh*tty n*gger was the most usual thing.

I… pic.twitter.com/RgbEK5l9fD

— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) July 7, 2026