The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, has condemned remarks made by Paraguay football legend José Luis Chilavert ahead of France’s Round of 16 clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing them as racist and disgraceful.
Chilavert, 60, sparked controversy after writing on social media that Paraguay would face “a squad from Africa” rather than France. He was responding to comments he attributed to former France forward Christophe Dugarry.
“Christophe, you’re right. In 1998 we faced the French, and now Paraguay will face a squad from Africa,” Chilavert wrote.
The comments referred to the countries’ previous World Cup meeting in 1998, when France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 before going on to win the tournament.
Reacting to the post, Diallo issued a strongly worded statement on X.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by José Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football.”
France booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16. Kylian Mbappé scored the game’s only goal from the penalty spot after a lengthy VAR review awarded France a penalty for Diego Gómez’s foul on Désiré Doué.
The match was also marked by several robust challenges from Paraguay, with none resulting in a yellow card despite repeated fouls on French players. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, working as a BBC Sport pundit, described Paraguay’s approach as “disgraceful,” while France coach Didier Deschamps was seen leading Mbappé away from a confrontation after the final whistle.
France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals after the Atlas Lions secured a 3-0 victory over Canada.
