Kylian Mbappé issued a multilingual apology Tuesday after Chinese brands severed ties over his comments about Mao Zedong.
Mbappé posted a statement in French, English and Chinese across his social media channels. He addressed the backlash triggered by a video clip. In the footage, the footballer describes a meme where his face was edited onto a figure he identified as a Chinese dictator. Fans have regularly used such edits, earning him the nickname 'the dictator' in European media.
My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and Chinese communities around the world.
Mao Zedong ruled China from 1949 until his death in 1976. His legacy includes the Great Leap Forward, an industrialisation project that led to a famine estimated to have killed 30 million people. The historical weight of the figure makes references to him highly sensitive in the country.
Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy company Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground said on Tuesday they were ending their agreements with Mbappé. The three companies issued similarly worded statements opposing any words or actions that hurt national sentiment or the feelings of the Chinese people.
Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments.
State-backed outlet The Paper reported that Chinese state television CCTV halted coverage of LaLiga and Mbappé matches and removed ads featuring the player. Social media platform RedNote said its content partnership with Mbappé ended on Dec. 31, 2024, stating it would remove related promotional materials, while his account was blocked from accepting new followers on Tuesday.
Chinese football portal Dongqiudi replaced Mbappé's name with the expression 'chá wú cǐ rén' in its 2026 Ballon d'Or standings. The phrase means 'no such person exists' or 'person not found'. The portal also published a black-and-white photograph of Mbappé. This treatment is usually associated on Chinese social media with images of deceased people.
What we know
- Dongqiudi replaced Mbappé's name with 'no such person' in its standings.
- The portal published a black-and-white photograph of the player.
- Some Weibo users called for China to blacklist Mbappé.
Still unclear
- Whether the video of Mbappé's remarks is authentic.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned that words and actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese people would be met with joint opposition from all sectors of society. LaLiga president Javier Tebas posted an apology on X for the offence caused in China, saying the league was working with its partners there to overcome the situation.
Tebas said he takes responsibility for collaborating with clubs and players to boost cultural respect and awareness.
I wish to personally apologise to Chinese fans for the offence caused. I have deep respect for China, its institutions and its people, and I value the trust with which, for so many years, they have supported our football.
Mbappé finished second to Harry Kane in the 2026 Ballon d'Or as the backlash in China grew. He led scoring charts in LaLiga, the Champions League and the World Cup but won no trophies for club or country in the 2025/26 season.
Mbappé's commercial partners include sportswear brand On Holding, hotel group Accor and toy manufacturer Lego. Lego sells an Mbappé building set in China. The company said it could not comment. The product remained available on its Chinese site on Tuesday, while On Holding and Accor had not yet responded to comment requests.
Brands cutting ties
Immediate action
- Dongpeng ended agreement
- Mengniu ended agreement
- Milkground ended agreement
Partners remaining silent
No immediate change
- Lego product still listed
- On Holding no comment
- Accor no comment
Topics related to the boycott trended on Weibo. As of 0700 GMT, four topics about Mbappé were among the top 10 trending searches on the network. Hashtags including 'Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé' and 'Football fans boycott Mbappé' were trending. Some users called for China to blacklist Mbappé and reduce his commercial value to zero.
