Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla, who was at the center of an international scandal after insulting the captain of the French national football team, Kylian Mbappe, tried to justify her behavior by the peculiarities of the environment in which she grew up. According to her, she belongs to a generation for which violence against minorities and social discrimination were the norm.
How did it all start? The conflict flared up after the 1/8 finals of the 2026 World Cup, in which France beat Paraguay 1-0 thanks to Mbappe's goal from the penalty spot. After the game, Amarilla publicly called the footballer "ugly", "savage" and "a colonized Cameroonian who pretends to be French".
Mbappe responded by calling the senator a "despicable woman," after which the parliamentarian accused him of "gender violence" and threatened legal action.
How did the senator explain her words? At a press conference, Amarilla called her remarks a "slip-up" and "a pattern of behavior that she actually hates" but that she has absorbed since childhood.
She stressed that she is almost 62 years old and she was formed in society, "Where gays were beaten", and such insults were commonplace.
The senator also recalled that in her "tough generation," divorced women were stigmatized, and "children of decent women" were not supposed to communicate with them. Amarilla claims that she is now "changing and building a new world" where people can coexist despite the attitudes of the past.
It should be noted that the French footballer Kylian Mbappé very rarely comments on his personal life and tries to keep it out of public attention. Officially not married and did not report the presence of a permanent partner. In addition, Mbappe has repeatedly said that his career remains a top priority for him, and excessive attention to his personal life only complicates the relationship. He consciously protects his personal space and rarely publishes anything on this topic. In other words, to date, there is no reliable information that the captain of the French national team is in a relationship. All discussions in the media are based on either rumors or unconfirmed observations.
Amarilla's remarks drew sharp criticism at the highest level:
FIFA: The president of the federation, Gianni Infantino, condemned the racist overtones of the senator's words, saying that football should be an inclusive and safe space for all.
France: President Emmanuel Macron also expressed support for the captain of the national team and condemned racism.
Despite talking about working on herself, Amarilla refused to apologize to the player personally, as she expects him to apologize in return for his words about a "contemptible woman." Meanwhile, Paris has already launched an investigation into insults by a Paraguayan politician.
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