French striker Kylian Mbappe became the central figure of the traditional San Juan celebrations in Paraguay, where his portrait was publicly burned as a symbol of the “most hated” person of the year, according to an old local custom. The tradition of the San Juan festival involves burning effigies of characters who have been considered controversial or have aroused strong reactions in public opinion during the year. This year, participants chose Mbappe as the main figure of this ceremony.

Tensions over the France captain increased after Paraguay's elimination from the 2026 World Cup. The match in Philadelphia was decided by a penalty scored by Mbappe, which gave France a 1-0 victory and qualification for the quarterfinals.

After the match, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla, a member of the Radical Liberal Party, published a series of racist comments against the footballer on the social network X. She called Mbappe a “colonial Cameroonian” trying to present himself as French, insulted him with derogatory terms and even declared that Paraguayan footballers should slap him after the match.

Mbappe responded to the attacks, condemning the racist comments and defending his identity, as well as the place he has earned in sport and society. The event has sparked numerous reactions on social media, while the burning of the French star's portrait during the traditional festival has revived the debate on the border between popular tradition, sporting rivalry and hate speech.

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