Paraguayan Senator's Lawyer Demands Mbappé Extradition, a Legally Baseless Threat

The lawyer of Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla has demanded the extradition of Kylian Mbappé to Paraguay, accusing him of defamation after the France captain called her “despicable”. A threat with no real force, rendered inapplicable by international law.

The dispute stems from the Round of 16 match in the 2026 World Cup between France and Paraguay, won 1-0 on a late penalty converted by Mbappé. Following this defeat, senator Amarilla made racist remarks targeting the Real Madrid striker, prompting the Paris prosecutor’s office to open an investigation for “aggravated public insult and public incitement to hatred or violence based on origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion”.

After Mbappé publicly responded by calling the senator “despicable”, her lawyer Guillermo Duarte Cacavelos gave an interview to Paraguayan media ABC to announce legal action. “Since the facts had consequences in Paraguay, what Mbappé wrote can indeed be subject to judgment here; we can pursue proceedings against him, and he can be extradited to appear before Paraguayan justice”, he stated. For her part, Celeste Amarilla also mentioned the possibility of filing a complaint against Mbappé for “sexist violence and political violence against women”.

These threats, however, face a decisive legal obstacle. The extradition treaty in force between France and Paraguay since 2003 explicitly excludes offences punishable by less than two years’ imprisonment, which is the case for simple defamation. Moreover, only the Paraguayan government is authorized to file an official extradition request with French authorities — and it has already publicly distanced itself from the senator’s remarks.

Meanwhile, in Paraguay, effigies of Mbappé were burned during the traditional San Juan festivities, with the player described as “the most hated personality in the entire country”.