Kylian Mbappe Issues Formal Apology After Mao Zedong Remarks Trigger Widespread Outrage In China

Kylian Mbappé apologised on Tuesday after comments that appeared to refer to Mao Zedong as a dictator triggered backlash in China and cost him at least three brand deals. The Real Madrid forward issued a statement after a clip circulated online and anger spread across Chinese social media.

“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement on Tuesday. “I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” he said. “This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.”

The fallout widened quickly. Mbappé, whose face appears in advertisements across China from subway stations to inside elevators, lost deals with at least three Chinese companies as broadcasters, brands and online platforms moved to distance themselves from him.

Brand Deals End

Three companies walked away. Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground ended their agreements with Mbappé on Tuesday after the clip spread online. The companies did not say what prompted their decisions.

Each company used similar wording. They said that they opposed “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”

Mbappé has been a familiar face in Chinese advertising. He has featured in campaigns for products ranging from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one Dongpeng commercial, he delivers a slogan in Chinese. In a Mengniu advertisement, he appears alongside Lionel Messi.

The backlash reached RedNote too. The social media platform said its content tie-up with Mbappé finished on Dec. 31, 2024 and that it would “remove related promotional materials.” It also said it opposed “any conduct that hurts national sentiment.” Mbappé’s account on RedNote was blocked from taking new followers on Tuesday.

Clip Sparks Outrage

The clip drove the backlash. It circulated on X and appeared to show Mbappé being interviewed before going on the French online talk show “The Bridge”.

Asked about his favourite meme of himself, Mbappé replied that it was “a video someone made of a guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator”. The video then showed an altered image of Mbappé’s face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.

Fans online often call Mbappé a dictator in jest. Memes that cast him as Mao or other authoritarian leaders circulate widely.

The remark landed badly in China, where Mao remains a revered figure for many people even as his record is sharply contested. Online, users criticised Mbappé and some told him not to come to China.

Weibo users quickly pushed the story higher. “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” led the platform’s trending list. “Football fans boycott Mbappé” also appeared among the top trends.

China’s Official Response

The official response escalated the dispute. China Media Group said that it had suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches and other games featuring Mbappé and removed advertisements featuring him. It also demanded an apology from Mbappé and his club, Real Madrid.

La Liga moved fast to protect its China business. It said it “deeply regrets the offence caused to Chinese fans by Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments. These remarks were made in a personal capacity and do not represent La Liga.” The league added that it would build a “communication protocol” for players and clubs while working with stakeholders in China.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also weighed in. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun 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.”

Mao Zedong was a revolutionary who helped lead the Communist Party in its early years, won the civil war against China's ruling Nationalist Party and went on to found the People’s Republic of China. He is revered by many even today. At the same time, his legacy includes authoritarian rule and the Great Leap Forward, an industrialisation drive that led to a famine estimated to have killed 30 million people.