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The United Nations Human Rights Office has condemned racist remarks made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla against France captain Kylian Mbappé, describing the comments as "despicable" and warning that racism remains a persistent problem in football. The condemnation came as FIFA reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on racism and discrimination, confirming it has opened an investigation into a separate racist incident involving American streamer IShowSpeed during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The controversy erupted after France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the World Cup round of 16, with Mbappé converting the decisive penalty. In a series of social media posts, Senator Amarilla unleashed a racist tirade against the French star, describing him as "a colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French" and saying he "grew up sucking on coconuts". She also claimed Mbappé had been "nervous and scared to death" throughout the match and described him as "resentful, newly rich, arrogant, and ugly".
In a statement on Tuesday, UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said Amarilla's comments were "despicable and, regrettably, not isolated". He added that reports of racist incidents during the FIFA World Cup reflected "a wider phenomenon across football and sports more broadly". The UN urged governments, sporting bodies, and social media platforms to tackle racial abuse. "Public officials have a heightened responsibility to stand against racism, discrimination and hate speech," Al-Kheetan said.
Mbappé fired back on social media, calling Amarilla a "despicable woman" who is "unworthy of your position". "Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup," Mbappé wrote. "You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition". The French Football Federation has announced plans to file criminal charges against Amarilla, describing her remarks as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable".
In a separate development, FIFA has launched an investigation into allegations of racist abuse involving American YouTuber IShowSpeed during Argentina's 3-2 victory over Cape Verde on Friday. The incident allegedly occurred at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 3 July, where the streamer, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., was livestreaming the match to millions of followers. Video footage on IShowSpeed's YouTube channel appears to show the 21-year-old, who was wearing a Cape Verde jersey, involved in a confrontation with an Argentina fan. The fan, speaking in Spanish, appeared to be telling IShowSpeed, who is Black, to "go cry to the zoo".
FIFA said it was made aware of the incident and "immediately initiated an investigation". "FIFA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms. These actions have no place in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society," the governing body said in a statement. "The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of unity, diversity and respect. It brings together people, cultures and communities from around the world, and anyone who acts in a manner that undermines these values is not welcome in our game".
IShowSpeed has been a prominent figure throughout the World Cup, livestreaming matches and behind-the-scenes content to his massive online audience, which includes more than 57 million YouTube subscribers. His broadcasts have featured appearances from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and former football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. FIFA has not indicated when the investigation into the alleged abuse of IShowSpeed is expected to be concluded.
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