French football star Kylian Mbappe issued a formal apology on Tuesday following a severe backlash from Chinese sponsors and fans. The controversy stems from a viral video in which the Real Madrid forward appeared to joke about Mao Zedong, the founding leader of modern China. In the clip, Mbappe suggests the funniest meme he had ever encountered involved his own face superimposed onto that of “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator.” While the video’s authenticity remains unverified by news agencies, the remarks have sparked significant outrage. The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by AFP Fact Check.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” Mbappe stated in a message released in French, Chinese, and English. The incident has caused a swift financial ripple effect, with major Chinese brands terminating their partnerships. Beverage company Dongpeng, which featured the France captain in World Cup advertising, stated it holds a “zero-tolerance policy” toward actions that offend national sentiment. Similarly, dairy industry giants Mengniu and Milkground have severed their ties with the player. According to one Weibo user, The “extremely serious wrong remarks crossed the red line” and others urged Dongpeng to remove Mbappe’s image from their bottles.
The situation escalated further as state-owned China Media Group (CMG) announced the suspension of La Liga broadcasts. The organization noted that the decision was reached on Monday, prior to the apologies from both the league and the player. CMG has additionally demanded a formal apology from Real Madrid, labeling it an “absolute prerequisite” for any further discourse. La Liga issued its own statement confirming its regret regarding the offense caused, stressing that Mbappe’s remarks were made in a private capacity and do not reflect the league’s position.
Public sentiment in China has soured rapidly. On social media platform Weibo, the termination of the Dongpeng partnership became the top-trending topic, garnering over 430 million views. Online football outlet Dongqiudi described the comments as offensive to the Chinese populace. Zhang Jingqi, a 30-year-old Beijing resident, reflected this shift in public opinion, noting that she had lost her admiration for the player since the news broke. I used to really enjoy watching Mbappe play on the pitch,” Zhang Jingqi, 30, who works at a mall in Beijing, said.
The Chinese foreign ministry acknowledged the situation, with spokesperson Guo Jiakun stating that actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face universal rejection across the nation’s society. This incident draws parallels to the 2019 crisis involving the NBA, when the league faced a boycott and broadcast suspensions following a tweet by Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey regarding protests in Hong Kong. China suspended sponsorship deals with the NBA while the state broadcaster pulled NBA games off Chinese television for a year in October 2019.
Industry experts emphasize the gravity of the situation for global sports figures. Adam Zhang, founder of Key-Solution Sports Consulting, stressed that a rapid, sincere response was essential to mitigate the growing crisis. Prior to the apology, he stated, “It’s crucial to make a sincere statement. The sooner, the better.”
The controversy follows a high-profile week for Mbappe, who finished as runner-up to Harry Kane for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award on Monday.
Historical context remains a major factor in the sensitivity of these remarks; Mao Zedong remains a figure of intense national focus, and discussion of his policies—which are linked by historians to mass famine and death—is considered a significant taboo in China. In China, jokes about Mao, the country’s founding leader who died in 1976 — and whose drastic policies are blamed by historians for mass starvation and millions of deaths — remain taboo.
Previously, in an interview with L’Equipe, Mbappe had addressed a different meme depicting him as a military dictator, acknowledging that while some find such humor amusing, the historical damage caused by such figures makes the topic less appropriate. The 27-year-old Mbappe in September addressed a previous meme depicting him as a military dictator, in an interview with French sports newspaper L’Equipe. But there is another part that’s a bit less funny because of the damage such people have caused throughout history,” he said, there’s a part of it that’s funny.
