Kylian Mbappé has strongly condemned a Paraguayan senator after she posted racist comments following France’s World Cup victory over Paraguay.

The controversy erupted after Mbappé scored the decisive penalty in France’s round-of-16 win on Saturday, sending the defending European powerhouse into a quarterfinal showdown with Morocco.

Following the match, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla posted a series of offensive comments targeting Mbappé’s background, upbringing and appearance. The French captain responded publicly, calling the politician “despicable” and arguing that her racism had overshadowed Paraguay’s impressive World Cup run.

Mbappé said the global conversation should have been focused on the historic effort of Paraguay’s players rather than the remarks of a politician.

The backlash quickly expanded beyond football. Paraguay’s government formally condemned Amarilla’s comments, saying they did not represent the country or its people. The French Football Federation also denounced the remarks and indicated that the matter would be referred to prosecutors.

French President Emmanuel Macron publicly backed Mbappé, writing that the superstar had scored “one more goal” — this time against racism. France’s sports minister also expressed support for the national team captain.

Amarilla later deleted her original post and issued an open letter to Mbappé in French and Spanish. While expressing regret over some of her language, she also demanded an apology from the footballer and threatened possible legal action over his response.

The controversy comes after former Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert also drew criticism before the match for referring to France as “a squad from Africa.”

France now moves on to face Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals, but the fallout from the Paraguay match has extended far beyond the pitch.