Kylian Mbappé says he will not accept racism or stay silent | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé says he will neither keep quiet nor accept everything, a stance underscored by his response to racist remarks that followed France’s 1-0 World Cup last-16 win over Paraguay.

“He lived in a different era. I cannot judge it and I do not know if I would have been able to play in it. It was another football, another sport, another job, another society, a different world. I think there are things we must accept, others we must not, and they are non-negotiable,” he told France Football.

The France captain was targeted by a Paraguayan senator after the victory over the Albirroja. “I received support from the government in Paraguay. I had the support of the president, Emmanuel Macron, with whom I was in contact, and from all the authorities.”

Mbappé added: “We were talking about what Michel Platini said, that we had to accept everything. Those things, I do not accept. And I have no problem highlighting that in 2026 there are people in important positions who show a rare incompetence. We will always have the energy to fight that.”

His comments sit within a wider debate on players’ mental health and the constant pressures of the modern game, a theme raised by Platini’s recent viewpoint.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”