The controversy between Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla and French forward Kylian Mbappé shows no signs of abating. In a new intervention in the Paraguayan Senate, the lawmaker doubled down on her criticism of the France captain over the incident that occurred after the match that eliminated Paraguay from the 2026 World Cup.
Amarilla, visibly outraged, recalled the sequence in which Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill tried to greet Mbappé at the end of the match. «When Orlando Gill, a child who surely was stepping onto a World Cup stage for the first time, for the first time in Europe, was playing before the world and extends his hand with all the humility of a Paraguayan, and this son of a b*tch refuses his hand and screams in his face,» the senator said, in a tone that further fueled the controversy.
However, Amarilla was careful to separate her criticism of the footballer from her view of France as a nation. «France is Rousseau, Descartes, Montesquieu, Victor Hugo, Simone de Beauvoir, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. I refuse to reduce all that enormous France and that enormous cultural, artistic, and democratic legacy to Mbappé,» she stated during her speech.
Meanwhile, the Paraguayan Senate distanced itself from Amarilla’s statements. After an extensive debate that lasted more than five hours, the Upper House approved a resolution expressing its «absolute rejection» of any form of discrimination and racism, making clear that the senator’s opinions are personal and do not represent the institutional position of the body.
The controversy erupted after Mbappé posted a provocative message on social media following France’s victory over Paraguay, which many interpreted as a taunt. The incident with Gill, in which the goalkeeper sought a gesture of camaraderie and received a hostile response, was the last straw for Amarilla, who had already criticized the footballer in previous days.
The case continues to generate divided reactions in Paraguay and internationally. While some support the senator’s stance, others consider her expressions excessive. The fact is that Paraguay’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup left open wounds, and this new round promises to keep the issue at the center of attention.
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para mi celeste tiene razon loko mbappe un muerto de hambre chorea plata mientras los paraguas se mueren de hambre dedicate a jugar a la pelota no a hablar de politica que no entendes nada viva la lucha de clases carajo
Para mí Mbappé es un negrito malcriado que se cree dios y la izquierda cobarde defendiendolo. Esto huele a traición. Yo creo que Celeste tiene razón: Paraguay primero, que se vayan todos los europeos con sus caprichos. ¡Patria y honor carajo!