Kylian Mbappe is used to being talked about. He's one of the best footballers on the planet, plays for Real Madrid, and captains France. People are always going to have opinions on him. But there's a pretty clear line between football chat and outright racism, and a Paraguayan senator apparently decided to sprint straight over it.
The senator in question made a series of posts mocking Mbappe's origins and education, the kind of stuff that has absolutely no place in sport or anywhere else for that matter. Mbappe didn't let it slide either. He came out publicly and called her 'despicable' and unworthy of holding her position, which is fair enough really. When someone in public office is throwing that kind of filth around, they probably deserve a bit more than a strongly worded tweet back at them, but it's good that Mbappe used his platform to say something.
What makes this particularly grim is that Mbappe is arguably the most famous footballer in the world right now. If someone is willing to go after him like that in full public view, you have to wonder what gets said about players with a smaller platform who can't fight back in the same way. That's the bit that should make everyone uncomfortable.
Mbappe has spoken about racism before and has never been shy about calling it out. You can say what you like about him as a footballer, whether he's hit his Real Madrid heights yet or not, and that's a fair debate to have. But nobody deserves to be treated like this, full stop. A senator using her platform to spread that kind of content is an embarrassment, and Mbappe was right to call it exactly what it is.
Football brings people together from every corner of the world, which is honestly one of the best things about it. Stories like this are a reminder that there are still people out there determined to use it as a tool for division instead. They should be called out every single time.
Let me know your thoughts.