Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla has claimed that her Instagram account was hacked after facing widespread backlash over racist remarks directed at France captain Kylian Mbappé during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The controversy began after France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 32, with Mbappé scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot. The Real Madrid forward also appeared to ignore a handshake from Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after the final whistle.
In a now-deleted post on X earlier this week, Amarilla referred to Mbappé as a "colonised Cameroonian pretending to be French" and added that the France international "grew up sucking on coconuts instead of breast milk."
The comments sparked widespread condemnation from political leaders, football fans and officials in Paraguay. Additional posts targeting Mbappé later appeared on Amarilla's Instagram account, further fuelling the controversy.
Responding on Thursday, the senator denied responsibility for the recent Instagram posts, claiming that she no longer had access to the account.
"I am announcing that my Instagram account has been hacked, possibly since this morning," Amarilla wrote on X.
"I am taking the necessary steps for my protection and that of my followers; please excuse any inconvenience this may cause you."
However, Amarilla said on Friday that she had regained control of the account. In another post on X, she appeared to take another swipe at France, writing:
"Tell the French they can keep being annoying."
It remains unclear whether the posts published on Amarilla's Instagram account after her initial comments were made by a third party while the account was allegedly compromised. Neither Meta nor X has publicly commented on her hacking claim.
