A shocking and unprecedented incident of racism has erupted on the stage of the World Cup, a festival for people around the world.

Following Paraguay's loss to France in the Round of 16, a Paraguayan senator unleashed a barrage of vitriol against French team captain Kylian Mbappe, calling him a "colonial product pretending to be French."

Mbappe has taken the rare step of publicly criticizing the remarks in response.

French media outlet RMC Sport reported that "Mbappe has responded firmly to the racist remarks made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla."

The controversy arose immediately after France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Round of 16 match held in Philadelphia, USA, on July 5, following a winning penalty kick by Mbappe in the 70th minute.

Shortly after the match, Senator Amarilla posted a message on her social media targeting Mbappe, who scored the winning goal.

Taking issue with the fact that Mbappe did not shake hands with Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill after the game, she spewed insults, stating, "This beast didn't even learn how to write," and, "He grew up sucking on coconuts instead of breast milk, and the smartest being he has ever heard of was a chimpanzee."

She went further, calling him a "Cameroonian of colonial origin pretending to be French," and adding, "He is a nouveau riche filled with resentment, arrogant, and ugly."

She also made remarks that seemed to incite violence, saying, "The reason many people are criticizing the Paraguayan national team is because they didn't slap him even once after the game."

Mbappe immediately issued a public rebuttal via social media.

"You are despicable and unworthy of the position you hold," Mbappe wrote, criticizing her. "Because of your ignorance and uninhibited racism, the world will remember the worst image you have left behind longer than the historic achievements the Paraguayan national team made in this World Cup."

He added, "I will never let people like you spread hatred and racism," and posted a photo of Senator Amarilla alongside his statement.

The French Football Federation announced that it has reported the incident to the prosecutor's office.

French Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra and French Football Federation President Philippe Diallo also publicly supported Mbappe and strongly condemned the racist remarks.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News