Since June 11, over 5 million highly charged spectators have filled stadiums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and hundreds of millions more have watched on television as the FIFA (International Association Football Federation) World Cup 2026 has become sports’ most drama-filled reality show.
From high ranking members of the Iranian soccer delegation, including its federation president, Mehdi Taj, being denied entry into Canada by the country’s immigration authorities ahead of the start of the tournament due to their alleged ties to Islamic Revolutionary Guard, classified as terrorist organization by the Canadian government, to U.S President Donald Trump leaning on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to rescind the suspension of a U.S.player, the political machinations of the World Cup have gripped the attention of diehard and casual soccer fans alike.
Soccer is the planet’s most popular sport and FIFA, its international governing body, has been intentionally masterful in showcasing – and in some instances placating — its most prominent stars while living up to its reputation as arguably the most powerful and corrupt sports federation in existence. With a history of nefarious actions, such as the 2015 bribery scandal known as FIFA Gate, a widespread joint Swiss-U.S. criminal investigation that resulted in numerous charges, convictions, and guilty pleas against soccer officials and corporate executives among others, FIFA has extended the boundaries of transgressiveness.
Soccer has also long been a theater of racism. And after France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16, led by debatably the world’s best player, Kylian Mbappé, a Paraguayan senator, Celeste Amarilla, launched a racist tirade against the Black star on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in part referring to the 27-year-old as a “colonized Cameroonian” and “brute” who does not know how to read or write.
The 61-year-old Amarilla, part of Paraguay’s Radical Liberal Party, has since retracted her inexcusable tirade, unreasonably and paradoxically attributing it to race and ethnicity.
“My posts were written in the heat of the moment,” explained Amarilla. “My mixed-race blood – the beautiful blend of Indigenous and Spanish heritage that runs through my veins — was boiling.”
Mbappé, who is one of the highest paid athletes in the world, earning roughly $100 million annually through his contract with club team in Spain, Real Madrid, and endorsements, responded in a manner reflecting he is adequately well educated:
“Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honor throughout the competition…”
“…Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.”
“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”
Although President Donald Trump exercised his juice to compel FIFA to overturn the suspension of U.S. player Folarin Balogun, initially prohibiting him from playing against Belgium on Monday after he received a questionable red card in his team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, even with Balogun on the pitch, Belgium steamrolled the U.S. 4-1, knocking them out of the tournament.
But it hasn’t dampened the highly rated reality show which has evolved into must-see T.V. with more episodes remaining with the finale on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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