French prosecutors are investigating racist comments made by a Paraguayan senator about soccer star Kylian Mbappé, AP News reported. The case started after a World Cup soccer match.

On July 4, Paraguay played France in the World Cup knockout round at Philadelphia Stadium. France won 1-0 on a penalty goal by Mbappé. After the loss, Senator Celeste Amarilla posted insulting comments on X (the social media platform formerly called Twitter). She mocked Mbappé's Cameroonian background, his family, his appearance, and his education. She even called him a "colonized Cameroonian" who was pretending to be French, according to NBC News. Another former Paraguay goalkeeper had made similar comments before the game, calling France's team "a squad from Africa," per Al Jazeera.

Mbappé fought back publicly. On July 6, he wrote on X: "Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position." He said she was spreading racism and that he would not let her or people like her spread hatred. The post went viral and was shared by AP, BBC News, and The Athletic.

Amarilla then published an open letter the same day in French and Spanish. She said she had deleted her insulting posts and was sorry for using insults similar to ones she said she had experienced herself as a mixed-race woman. But she also turned the tables: she accused Mbappé of "gender-based violence" for the way he spoke to her, demanded that he apologize, and said she might take him to court, according to Al Jazeera.

France's leadership immediately backed Mbappé. President Emmanuel Macron posted on X: "One more goal for Kylian Mbappé. This time against racism." The sports minister said the senator was attacking what France stands for: freedom, equality, and brotherhood. The French Football Federation called Amarilla's comments "totally abject and unacceptable," per its official statement.

Now French prosecutors are investigating whether Amarilla broke French law. France has laws that make it illegal to say things publicly that push people to hate others based on race. These laws apply to people anywhere in the world — not just France. But here is the tricky part: Amarilla is a senator in Paraguay, and she was posting from Paraguay. French prosecutors would have to figure out whether they can actually hold a foreign elected official accountable, which gets complicated fast.

Amarilla's claim that Mbappé committed "gender-based violence" by criticizing her publicly adds another layer to the story. It tries to frame the fight differently — making it seem like both sides did something wrong. But many observers have pointed out that what she did (mocking someone's race and identity) is different from what he did (publicly criticizing her for it).

This is not the first time politicians have jumped into the middle of World Cup matches this tournament. They have made remarks that go beyond friendly sports rivalry into attacks about race and ethnicity. So far, Paraguay's government and football federation have not said anything officially about what happened — only Amarilla herself has spoken.

For now, the facts are clear: a senator made racist comments, a world-famous player responded harshly, she apologized but also accused him of wrongdoing, and French officials have opened an investigation. What comes next — whether this becomes a court case or stays a diplomatic disagreement — is still to be decided.