Kylian Mbappé has publicly apologized after a remark about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong sparked a backlash that saw two major Chinese brands terminate their sponsorships with the Real Madrid forward. The French captain’s comment, which was made in a video that circulated online, was deemed “ill‑judged” and offensive to Chinese national sentiment, prompting swift action from sponsors and the football league.
The incident unfolded when a clip surfaced showing Mbappé laughing about a meme that superimposed his face onto an image of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China who died in 1976. In China, jokes about Mao are considered highly disrespectful and remain a social taboo. The video prompted a wave of criticism on Weibo, where the headline “Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappé” trended as users demanded the removal of the player’s image from product packaging.
Dongpeng, a Chinese sports‑drink company, issued a statement on Tuesday announcing the immediate termination of its partnership with Mbappé, citing a “zero‑tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments.” Shortly thereafter, Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, also severed ties with the striker. Mengniu’s statement echoed Dongpeng’s stance, emphasizing that the company opposes any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. Both brands had previously featured AI‑generated adverts of Mbappé drinking their products during the World Cup, a campaign that had benefited from the player’s massive popularity among Chinese fans.
Mbappé responded to the fallout with an apology. In a statement, he said, “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.” The apology came after the player had previously addressed a similar meme in September, noting that while some found it funny, others found it “a bit less funny” because of the historical damage associated with the figures he was compared to.
La Liga also weighed in, condemning the remarks and clarifying that they were made in a personal capacity and did not reflect the league’s views. The incident follows a pattern of controversies involving global sports stars and sensitive political topics in China. Previous examples include NBA player Dwight Howard’s reference to Taiwan as a country and Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet supporting Hong Kong protests, both of which led to significant sponsor withdrawals and broadcasting bans.
With the sponsorships terminated and the apology issued, Mbappé’s future commercial relationships in China remain uncertain. The fallout underscores the delicate balance international athletes must maintain when engaging with culturally sensitive subjects in markets where political sensitivities are tightly monitored.