Kylian Mbappé has become one of the most marketable soccer players on the planet, and his face has been plastered across advertisements throughout China. But at least three Chinese companies are now cutting ties with the Real Madrid and France star after he appeared to refer to Mao Zedong as a “dictator.”
The backlash stems from a resurfaced clip in which Mbappé jokes about a meme that put his face on the body of the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China. The incident quickly sparked outrage in China, with sponsors pulling away from the superstar, Chinese state television reportedly pulling LaLiga off the air, and Mbappé issuing a public apology on Tuesday.
‘A Chinese Dictator’
The clip appears to show Mbappé being interviewed before going on the French online talk show The Bridge. It was filmed in April and began circulating widely on social media on Monday, according to Al Jazeera.
In the video, Mbappé is asked about his favorite meme of himself. He replies that it was “a video someone made of a guy … I think he was a Chinese dictator,” via ESPN, before the video shows an altered image of Mbappé’s face on the blue-suited body of Mao.
Mbappé never actually named Mao. But in China, jokes about him are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo.
Brands Cut Ties
On Tuesday, beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu, and cheese maker Milkground all announced that they were ending their agreements with Mbappé. Each said in similarly worded statements that they oppose “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”
Dongpeng, which had Mbappé deliver a slogan in Chinese in one of its commercials, went a step further.
“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” the company said in a statement, via Al Jazeera.
Social media platform RedNote also addressed the incident, saying its content partnership with Mbappé ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would “remove related promotional materials.”
To make matters worse, China’s state television has reportedly halted broadcasts of all matches and events involving LaLiga and Mbappé. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said that words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people “will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”
The NBA went through something similar in 2019, when Chinese state TV pulled games off the air after then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
‘Sincerely Sorry’
Mbappé quickly addressed the issue, posting an apology on social media in French, Mandarin, and English.
“During a recent interview I reacted to an image of myself,” Mbappé said, via ESPN. “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurts many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history and I am sincerely sorry.”
LaLiga also issued a statement distancing itself from the comments and apologizing “on behalf of LALIGA and all its clubs,” via ESPN.
“These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent LALIGA,” the league said in a statement. “Spanish football upholds respect, coexistence, and unity among people of all cultures. We convey our respect to China, its institutions, and its people, and we deeply value the support of the millions of fans who follow us each week.”
LaLiga president Javier Tebas also apologized on X, writing that “a relationship built over so many years cannot be damaged by a single episode,” via Al Jazeera.
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