Two separate discrimination disputes are now shadowing the World Cup's closing stages, after Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla threatened legal action against Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday, hours before FIFA confirmed a formal investigation into alleged racist abuse directed at YouTube streamer IShowSpeed.
Both cases arrived within the same news cycle but involve entirely different circumstances: one a public dispute between a sitting politician and France's captain, the other a governing-body inquiry into conduct among fans inside a World Cup stadium.
Together, they add fresh scrutiny to a tournament already contending with disciplinary controversy from last week's Folarin Balogun suspension, this time centred on how football's institutions and public figures respond to allegations of racism.
Why Senator Celeste Amarilla Is Threatening Legal Action Against Mbappe
The dispute traces back to Saturday, when Mbappe's penalty secured a 1-0 win for France over Paraguay and eliminated the South Americans from the World Cup.
Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill later said he “lost his temper” after an attempted post-match handshake went unacknowledged, which foreshadowed the tensions that followed.
Amarilla posted comments online afterward making derogatory references to Mbappe's African heritage and education, remarks she later deleted amid widespread condemnation from French football officials and the wider public.
Mbappe responded to it on Monday on social media, calling the senator "a despicable woman" who was "unworthy of your position" and accusing her of "brazen racism," a statement that drew its own wave of reaction inside Paraguay.
Amarilla answered Tuesday with an open letter. She described her original remarks as written "in the heat of the moment" and said she regretted mirroring insults she herself finds objectionable, before pivoting to accuse Mbappe of her as "gender-based violence, plain and simple," demanding an apology or facing legal proceedings.
Elsewhere in the letter, she framed the dispute in personal terms. "I am a Senator of the Paraguayan Nation, elected by the people," she wrote. "Who are you to call me unworthy or despicable when you do not even know me?"
Institutional responses followed quickly on both sides. The French Football Federation lodged a complaint with the country's unit combating online hate, prompting Paris prosecutors to open a formal probe, while Paraguay's foreign ministry issued its own statement:
"The Government of the Republic of Paraguay condemns and rejects the comments made by senator Amarilla," it read, adding that her remarks "correspond exclusively to her and in no way represent the position of the Government."
Tension surrounding the fixture had already surfaced before kickoff, after former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert described France as “a squad from Africa,” a remark that French federation president Philippe Diallo at the time called “a disgrace.”
Neither party had filed formal legal papers as of Tuesday, leaving the dispute unresolved as France prepares to face Morocco in Thursday's quarterfinal in Boston.
FIFA Opens Investigation Into Alleged Abuse Of IShowSpeed
The second case centres on July 3, when Darren Watkins Jr., better known online as IShowSpeed, was livestreaming from the stands during Argentina's 3–2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Footage circulating online appeared to show an Argentina supporter directing a racist remark toward Watkins during a confrontation, after which security personnel escorted him away from the area. FIFA confirmed its response directly: "FIFA was made aware of an incident involving a supporter and IShowSpeed at Miami Stadium during the Argentina vs Cabo Verde match on 3 July 2026 and immediately initiated an investigation," the organisation said, adding that the tournament represents "a celebration of unity, diversity and respect."
In a separate line, FIFA went further on its broader position: "FIFA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms," the statement said, calling such conduct unwelcome "in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society."
Watkins commands an audience that most footballers would envy, with more than 57 million YouTube subscribers, a reach that has propelled the incident far beyond the sort of fan-conduct complaints typically raised during the tournament.
FIFA has not named the supporter involved or confirmed whether disciplinary action has followed, and Watkins had not addressed the matter publicly through his own channels as of Tuesday.
Scrutiny of Argentina's supporters continued into Tuesday's Round of 16 match against Egypt, where footage appeared to show objects being thrown toward Egyptian fans.
Separately, Egypt manager Hossam Hassan was filmed reacting after supporters waved an Israeli flag toward his technical area.
How These Cases Add To FIFA's Growing World Cup Controversies
The latest disputes come just days after FIFA was criticised for suspending Folarin Balogun ahead of the United States' Round-of-16 defeat to Belgium. UEFA was among those who publicly questioned the decision.
That controversy concerned disciplinary procedure rather than discrimination. Even so, it marked the second time in a week that FIFA had come under public pressure from a continental confederation, which is an unusual development in the middle of a World Cup.