French Prosecutors Investigating Racist Insults Against Mbappé by Paraguay Senator

French prosecutors opened an investigation into racist insults aimed at Kylian Mbappé after a Paraguay senator’s online comments following the World Cup loss to France. The Paris prosecutor’s office said it began the probe for aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred or violence after the French Football Federation (FFF) filed a complaint through the national unit for combating online hate. Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, posted the remarks on X after Mbappé converted the winning penalty in France’s victory over Paraguay on Saturday. Prosecutors said the alleged remarks were made because of the victim’s actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion, punishable by up to one year in prison and a 45,000 euro fine. Amarilla later published an open letter in French and Spanish, claiming she had deleted the post and expressing regret for the insults, while also demanding an apology and threatening legal action. Paraguay’s government condemned the comments, and the FFF denounced them as unacceptable; France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Sports Minister Marina Ferrari voiced support for Mbappé. France next plays Morocco in the quarterfinals on Thursday.