A French minister called on the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) to open an investigation into the ridicule that player Kylian Mbappe was subjected to by some Argentine players and fans, in the midst of celebrations that took place in Buenos Aires, to welcome the return of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar winning team.

During the reception of the Argentine national team upon its return to the country, a group of fans lit the lid of an imitation coffin, with a cross and a picture of Mbappe on it.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also grabbed a baby with Mbappe's face during a procession of the open-top bus that carried the team's players through the capital, and pictures of the two incidents spread on social media.

Even uglier displays of hatred & bigotry from Argentina fans towards Kylian Mbappé displayed here.

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- Get French Football News (@GFFN) December 20, 2022

Asked about his reaction to the insults made by Argentine fans on social media, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Sud Radio that the scenes were "insulting" and asked explicitly whether FIFA should look into those. events.

legal complaint

"What does FIFA do? Sport is about fair play, it shows respect for others and it shows respect for those who have lost," Lemerre said.

The organization (Save Us From Racism) had already asked FIFA to take action against Argentine fans who sang a racist song about Mbappe and the French national team before the start of the tournament, and is now studying photos from Argentina, looking for any racist references.

Meanwhile, the French Football Federation and the Anti-Racism Association will file legal complaints against individuals who directed racist insults at Mbappe and his teammates on social media, following France's defeat in the World Cup final on penalties.

Mbappe - who turned 24 on the day millions took to the streets in the Argentine capital to welcome the heroes led by team captain Lionel Messi - led a bold French comeback in the result;

By scoring two goals in 90 seconds, he pushed the match into extra time.

He and other players of African descent, who make up the majority of France's squad, were met with a barrage of racist abuse from a few fans on social media.

100 hateful comments

Save Us from Racism, a French association against all forms of racism, included screenshots of more than 100 hateful comments in a criminal complaint against those behind the remarks, and the French Federation did the same.

Kingsley Coman, Aurélian Tchouameni and Randal Kolo Muani are all now being hit with racist abuse in their social media comments.

Fuck sake people.

I thought we were past this😐

I hate this world sometimes.

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— Jack Lovell (@afcjackvids) December 18, 2022

"It is an expression of an extreme right-wing ideology, which says that we should not count these people as French," said Hermann Ebong, Secretary General of Save Us Against Racism.

He added that the two players who missed two penalties - Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchoamene - were subjected to the greatest amount of abuse, and that some players had deactivated comments on their accounts on social media.

The maximum penalty for racist online abuse is one year in prison and a fine of €45,000.