Mbappé Apologises to Chinese People After Two Brands End Sponsorship Deals

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has apologised for what he described as an “ill-judged” comment about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong after two major Chinese companies announced the termination of their partnerships with the French football star.

Mbappé issued the apology in a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday, acknowledging that his remarks had offended people in China and Chinese communities around the world.

“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,” he said.

The controversy followed the circulation of a video in which the 27-year-old France captain discussed an internet meme featuring his face superimposed on that of a Chinese leader. Mbappé described the meme as the funniest he had seen and appeared to refer to the figure as “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator,” in an apparent reference to Mao.

Chinese drinks manufacturer Dongpeng Beverage announced on Tuesday that it was ending its partnership with the footballer, citing its opposition to remarks it considered offensive to national sentiments.

“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” the company said, announcing the immediate termination of its cooperation with Mbappé.

Mengniu, one of China’s major dairy producers, also announced that it was ending its partnership with the Real Madrid forward. The company said it had a zero-tolerance policy towards words or actions it considered hurtful to the Chinese people.

The announcements prompted widespread discussion on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where Dongpeng’s decision to terminate its partnership with the footballer became a trending topic. Public comments perceived as disrespectful towards Mao remain particularly sensitive in China.

Mbappé had previously discussed memes comparing him to historical dictators in an interview with French sports newspaper L’Équipe in September. He acknowledged that some comparisons were intended as jokes but expressed discomfort with being associated with figures responsible for mass suffering.

“There’s a part of it that’s funny. You can tell that, for some people, it’s all in good fun. But there is another part that’s a bit less funny because of the damage such people have caused throughout history,” he said.

The episode adds to a history of international sports figures facing commercial or public backlash in China over politically sensitive comments. In 2019, a post by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong led to a major dispute between the NBA and Chinese broadcasters and commercial partners.

In 2023, former NBA player Dwight Howard also faced criticism on Chinese social media after referring to Taiwan as a country in a video featuring Taiwan’s then vice president, Lai Ching-te.

Mbappé’s apology comes as the consequences of the controversy extend beyond online criticism, with the termination of the two brand partnerships marking a direct commercial impact on the footballer.