Several Chinese brands have dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé as backlash grew online over alleged comments by him referring to the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Mbappé reportedly told French talk show The Bridge a meme "that makes me laugh the most...the one where there's a video of a guy, I think it's a Chinese dictator". As he speaks, a meme appears with his face superimposed on an image resembling Mao.
"I use it with my friends all the time," the Real Madrid forward adds, in unverified clips that have been circulating online.
Mbappé does not identify Mao by name and the original video is no longer on the show's YouTube channel, but screengrabs have spread on Chinese social media.
Even China's foreign ministry has weighed in, with spokesperso Lin Jian: "We have noted the relevant reports. Words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with opposition from all sectors of Chinese society."
Neither Mbappé nor the The Bridge have commented on this yet.
It's unclear when the interview was broadcast but Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments on Monday night in a statement, saying they were "inappropriate" and "hurt the feelings of Chinese people".
A backlash quickly ensued online, with some users criticising Mbappé – who is very popular in China and has huge brand endorsements – of "profiting from the Chinese market yet making remarks that offend the Chinese public".
"International public figures, in particular, should show greater respect and sensitivity, as national sentiment must never be taken lightly," read another comment on Weibo.
Mao founded Communist China in 1949 and ruled through tumultuous decades in the 1960s and 1970s. His attempt at rapid industrialisation, which he called the Great Leap Forward, led to a famine that killed tens of millions. Then came the Cultural Revolution: a violent purge of anyone seen as a threat to Communism, which included Chinese intellectuals, landowners, artists and often rivals within the Party.
His death in 1976 brought a new era for China, which began to open its doors to the global economy. Even as the country moved away from Mao's rule, he continued to be hailed by the Chinese Communist Party as a national icon whose legacy was beyond reproach.
The backlash against Mbappé is still growing. Chinese state broadcaster, CCTV, is suspending La Liga matches, according to The Paper.
According to state-owned newspaper The Global Times, CCTV's news apps no longer have content related to the French striker.
The Chinese brands have not explicitly said why they were terminating the contract but referred to hurt sentiments.
The country's largest dairy producer, Mengniu, said it "firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people".
Drinks giant Dongpeng, said: "Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments."
Given brands have not mentioned the controversial clip, some users on social media are also asking what exactly Mbappé had said or done that was offensive.
Mbappé, who made his debut for Real Madrid in August 2024, has been nicknamed "the dictator" in the football world because of his influence and control over club and international football operations.
In 2024, he sued a French influencer and kebab shop owner for using his name in the description of one of the shop's sandwiches. Some say the incident reinforced his "dictator" portrayal.
The nickname has also made Mbappé the subject of many memes online.
France team-mate Ousmane Dembele jumped on the trend during the 2026 World Cup by calling Mbappé Mobut – a reference to Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, for three decades.
In an interview with France Football in September, Mbappé acknowledged the light-heartedness behind many of these memes, but said they "sometimes reveals a lack of political and human awareness among people".
"There's a side that's a bit less funny, because we know the damage people like that have caused throughout history.
"Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions upon millions of people miserable... I don't think I've done that in my life," he had said.