Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has apologised after remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong triggered widespread backlash in China, with several commercial partners reportedly ending their relationships with the French football star and state television suspending broadcasts of Spain’s La Liga.
The 27-year-old France captain issued an apology on Tuesday after a video interview in which he joked about an internet meme featuring his face superimposed on that of a Chinese dictator, apparently referring to Mao, sparked outrage on Chinese social media.
According to AFP, the interview with French programme The Bridge has since been taken down, while the controversy has spread beyond social media to affect Mbappe’s commercial partnerships and the broadcast of Spanish football in China.
“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 said in a statement published in French, Chinese and English.
The remarks touched on a sensitive subject in China, where Mao remains a prominent historical figure despite the millions of deaths associated with his rule.
The backlash has had immediate commercial consequences for the footballer, with Chinese companies reportedly withdrawing from partnerships and promotional campaigns involving him.
Dongpeng, a Chinese beverage manufacturer that used artificial intelligence-generated images of Mbappe in advertisements during this year’s World Cup, announced on Tuesday that it had ended its partnership with the player.
Dairy companies Mengniu and Milkground also reportedly terminated their associations with the Real Madrid forward.
The controversy has also affected La Liga, whose broadcasts in China have been suspended by China Media Group (CMG), the organisation overseeing state broadcaster CCTV.
La Liga expressed regret over the reaction to Mbappe’s comments, saying it “deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappe’s recent comments have caused among Chinese fans”.
The development threatens the league’s visibility in a major international market and has raised questions about the potential commercial implications of the controversy for the player, his club and their business partners.
Real Madrid has also come under criticism in China for not issuing a public statement addressing the incident.
The phrase “How much longer will arrogant Real Madrid keep playing ostrich” reportedly ranked fifth on Chinese search engine Baidu on Wednesday, reflecting growing online criticism of the club’s handling of the matter.
The state-run Global Times also criticised Real Madrid in an editorial, alleging that the club had failed to take action over the player’s remarks.
“Real has neither criticised nor warned Mbappe over his conduct, let alone imposed any disciplinary measures,” the newspaper said.
Meanwhile, the backlash has continued on Chinese social media platforms, where Mbappe’s accounts have reportedly faced restrictions.
The Xiaohongshu platform froze his account, which had more than one million followers, while Weibo barred users from following him. A notice on Weibo said the restriction followed a violation of laws or the platform’s community convention.
Some Chinese media reports also said international brands Dior and Hublot had removed Mbappe-related content from their Weibo pages. An AFP search of the brands’ accounts using the player’s Chinese name returned no results.
The criticism has not been limited to online platforms. AFP reported that when it visited an Adidas flagship store in Beijing’s Sanlitun shopping district, Real Madrid shirts were available for sale, but none bore Mbappe’s name.
The developments mark a potential setback for a footballer whose popularity in China has been reflected in advertising campaigns, billboards and consumer products. Chinese state media have previously praised him as a footballing sensation and a major talent.
Mbappe is also known among some Chinese fans by the nickname “Guigui”, meaning “turtle”, because of his perceived resemblance to a character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.
The incident is the latest in a series of disputes involving international sports figures and Chinese sensitivities.
In October 2019, China suspended sponsorship arrangements involving the National Basketball Association (NBA), while the state broadcaster stopped airing NBA games for a year following a controversy over a tweet by Daryl Morey, then general manager of the Houston Rockets.
Morey had written, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong”, expressing support for protests in the territory that Beijing condemned.
The episode demonstrated how political and cultural controversies can affect the commercial interests of international sporting organisations in China.
For Mbappe, the immediate challenge is the fallout from his remarks, with his apology yet to prevent reported commercial withdrawals, social media restrictions and the suspension of La Liga broadcasts.
The full extent of the impact on his commercial relationships and the Spanish league’s broadcast arrangements in China remains unclear.
Leave a Reply