FIFA panel head George Weah condemns ‘reprehensible abuse’ of Kylian Mbappe

By Jamie Gardner, Press Association Chief Sports Reporter

Racist abuse aimed at France striker Kylian Mbappe during the World Cup has been condemned by the captain of FIFA’s players’ voice panel, George Weah.

Mbappe was targeted by abusive comments from Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla after his penalty eliminated the South American nation from the competition last Saturday.

Mbappe has responded to the abuse from the senator, describing it as “despicable”, and now Weah says his panel is fully behind the Real Madrid forward.

“We stand in complete solidarity with Kylian Mbappe and condemn this reprehensible abuse in the strongest possible terms,” former Paris St Germain and AC Milan forward Weah said.

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“Football must always be a game of respect, inclusion and unity. There can be zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. Our message is clear: racism can never be part of the game. It’s a crime.”

Meanwhile, FIFA confirmed it is investigating allegations of racist behaviour towards influencer IShowSpeed at a recent World Cup match.

Football’s world governing body said it had been made aware of an incident at the Argentina v Cape Verde match, where IShowSpeed – whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr – appeared to be racially abused.

“FIFA was made aware of an incident involving a supporter and #IShowSpeed at Miami Stadium during the Argentina vs Cabo Verde match on July 3, 2026 and immediately initiated an investigation,” FIFA said.

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“The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of unity, diversity and respect. It brings together people, cultures and communities from around the world and anyone who acts in a manner that undermines these values is not welcome in our game.”

Earlier in the tournament, FIFA blocked the ticketing account of a Mexican fan who racially abused a South Korean influencer, Ino Cat, during her country’s first match of the finals against the Czech Republic.

FIFA then invited Ino Cat, whose real name is Yoon Su-jin, to South Korea’s second match against Mexico.