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Kylian Mbappé controversy in China

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2026-10-31 02:37 UTC → 2026-10-31 11:46 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé sparked significant outrage in China after referring to a meme featuring his face superimposed on a ‘Chinese dictator’ during an interview on the French program ‘The Bridge’. While he did not explicitly name Mao Zedong, the reference to the founding leader of the People's Republic of China led to immediate commercial and media repercussions. In response to the backlash, Mbappé issued a formal apology in French, English, and Chinese, acknowledging his words were ~~misguided~~ ‘ill-judged’ and expressing that he was ‘sincerely sorry’. Real Madrid and La Liga president Javier Tebas also issued apologies to the Chinese public. The controversy has expanded to include luxury brands, with reports that Dior and Hublot have removed mentions of Mbappé from their Chinese social media channels. In Beijing, Adidas stores have reportedly removed his name and number from Real Madrid jerseys. Commercial losses continue to mount as companies like Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu Dairy, Milkground, and ~~Milkground~~ Eastroc Beverage terminate sponsorships, potentially costing the player 7 million euros annually. Additionally, ~~the player has~~ gaming companies such as Tencent and NetEase are reportedly ~~been removed~~ removing Mbappé from ~~certain~~ football video ~~games.~~ games in China. Media restrictions remain in place: China Media Group (CMG) has suspended CCTV broadcasts of La Liga matches, and the streaming platform Migu has removed upcoming Real Madrid fixtures. While Philippe Diallo, President of the French Football Federation, described the reaction as ‘somewhat exaggerated’, Chinese state media has criticized the responses from Mbappé and his club as insufficient or delayed. Public backlash has included reports of fans burning jerseys and destroying advertisements. To mitigate financial risks, La Liga and Tebas issued a statement expressing ‘deep respect for China, its institutions, and its people’, announcing new communication protocols to prevent similar incidents. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted that actions wounding national sentiments will face collective rejection. people’.

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