An image of a Kylian Mbappé effigy hanging from a tree and then set on fire has caused an uproar in Paraguay, as part of the traditional San Juan festivities.

According to local custom, every year a person considered the most unpopular or controversial of the season is chosen, and an effigy is made, which is publicly burned as part of the folk tradition. This year, the captain of the French national team found himself in the spotlight, having been labeled by participants as “the most hated” of the year.

The tension surrounding Mbappé reached its peak after the France-Paraguay match in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, where the “Tricolores” advanced 1-0 thanks to a well-taken penalty kick by the French forward.

PARAGUAY | “MBAPPÉ” BURNED IN A PUBLIC SQUARE AND CELEBRATIONS

Paraguayans declared Mbappé “the most hated” during the “San Juan” festivities, a traditional festival where a effigy representing the person most hated at that moment throughout the country is burned. https://t.co/7aEFsXcp0D pic.twitter.com/kYTRO4UmrK

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A fierce online confrontation ensued with Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla, who made racist remarks against the soccer player. Mbappé responded publicly, calling the senator “unworthy of her office,” while defending the Paraguayan players, emphasizing that they played with passion and honor.

The French Football Federation announced that it would take legal action against the racist attacks, while both the Paraguayan government and the president of the country’s Congress condemned Amaría’s statements.

Although the senator later withdrew her controversial post and admitted she regretted the remarks, tensions have not subsided. In fact, in subsequent statements, she called on Mbappé to apologize as well for what he had said against her, declaring pointedly: “Don’t mess with the Paraguayans.”

The incident during the San Juan festival confirms that reactions in Paraguay remain particularly intense following the elimination by France, with Mbappé at the center of public debate in the country.