France FA chief calls Paraguay legend a disgrace over racist post
French Football Association president Philippe Diallo labeled former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert a "disgrace" after the 60-year-old said Paraguay would face "a squad from Africa" instead of France before their World Cup 2026 last-16 tie in Philadelphia. Diallo condemned the remarks as racist on X, saying they undermined football's values of respect and diversity.
Key Takeaways
- Chilavert posted on social media that Paraguay would play "a squad from Africa" rather than France ahead of the Philadelphia knockout tie.
- The comment came in response to former France forward Christophe Dugarry, who predicted Paraguay would be hammered by Les Bleus.
- FFF president Philippe Diallo publicly condemned the remarks as racist and called the Paraguay legend a disgrace.
- Chilavert and Dugarry previously met at the same World Cup stage in 1998, when France beat Paraguay 1-0 en route to their first title.
- France advanced to face Morocco in the quarter-finals on 9 July at Boston Stadium.
What did the Paraguay goalkeeper say about France?
Former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert sparked outrage hours before the round-of-16 clash in Philadelphia. On social media, the 60-year-old shared a screenshot of comments he attributed to ex-France international Christophe Dugarry, who had suggested Paraguay would get hammered by Les Bleus.
Chilavert replied: "Christophe, you're right. In 1998 we faced the French and now PY will face a squad from Africa." KOHA.net reported a similar version, noting he wrote that Paraguay would play against "a team from Africa."
Reuters reported that Dugarry was part of the France squad that won the 1998 World Cup, beating Paraguay 1-0 in the same round. The Independent noted the two had met at that stage 28 years earlier, adding personal history to a very public spat.
Why did France's football chief call Chilavert a disgrace?
Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), responded on X with a forceful statement. According to The Independent, he condemned "in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by José Luis Chilavert against the French national team."
Diallo said the comments undermined "the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football," and labelled the Paraguay legend a disgrace for the racist remarks. KOHA.net noted that reactions in France widely treated the post as racist.
At the time Reuters filed its report, the French federation was not immediately available to comment — though Diallo's public rebuke quickly became the defining official response.
What happened after the controversy on the pitch?
The Independent reported bad blood during the France-Paraguay tie itself. Paraguay's physical approach led to multiple fouls on French players, yet the match produced zero yellow cards — a detail that drew criticism from BBC Sport pundit Joe Hart, who called Paraguay's tactics "disgraceful."
Didier Deschamps was also seen ushering Kylian Mbappé away from a post-match confrontation, apparently to avoid any disciplinary risk for his star forward. France went on to win and will next play Morocco at Boston Stadium on 9 July, after the Atlas Lions beat co-hosts Canada 3-0.
For more offbeat sports fallout from the 2026 tournament, see our Bizarre World coverage.