The United Nations has condemned racist and dehumanising remarks directed at French footballer Kylian Mbappé, describing them as unacceptable and warning that they reflect a broader pattern of racism in football and other sporting activities.
The UN criticised comments made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla against the French forward, saying the incident was “despicable” and far from isolated.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the organisation said reports of racist incidents during the 2026 FIFA World Cup underscored a wider problem of racial discrimination in football and sports generally, calling for stronger action to combat the trend.
According to the UN, public officials have a heightened responsibility to reject racism, discrimination and hate speech, stressing that people in positions of authority should lead by example through responsible public discourse.
The organisation urged governments and sports bodies to take proactive measures to prevent acts of racism and all forms of discrimination, while ensuring that independent and effective accountability mechanisms are in place to investigate complaints and hold offenders responsible.
The UN also called on social media companies to strengthen efforts to prevent and address racist and xenophobic abuse on their platforms in line with international human rights standards.
It reiterated that tackling racism requires coordinated action by governments, sporting organisations and digital platforms to promote inclusion, protect athletes and ensure that discriminatory behaviour is not tolerated.