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The controversy has also raised questions about the future of Spanish La Liga broadcasts in China. State-run newspaper The Paper reported that public television was suspending match broadcasts.
The video shows Mbappe describing a meme featuring his face as the funniest internet meme he had seen. In the clip, he referred to the person in the image as “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator”. The comment appeared to refer to a meme showing Mbappe’s face superimposed on an image of Mao.
However, AFP Fact Check said it could not immediately verify the video’s authenticity. Mbappe later issued an apology in French, Chinese and English.
“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.
La Liga also apologised for the offence caused by the comments. The Spanish league said the remarks were made in Mbappe’s personal capacity and did not represent its views.
In China, jokes about Mao, who died in 1976, remain highly sensitive. His policies have been linked by historians to mass starvation and millions of deaths.
Beverage company Dongpeng announced that it was ending all cooperation with Mbappe. The company had featured AI-generated images of the footballer in adverts for its sports drink during this year’s World Cup.
“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” Dongpeng said in a statement.
The company added that it was “with immediate effect” terminating its partnership with Mbappe.
Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, also ended its cooperation with the footballer. Cheesemaker Milkground announced a similar decision. Mengniu said it had “a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”.
The backlash quickly spread online. On Chinese social media platform Weibo, “Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappe” became the top-trending topic, attracting 430 million views. Some users called for Dongpeng to remove Mbappe’s image from its bottles. Others said his remarks had crossed a line.
Chinese football outlet Dongqiudi also described the comments as “offensive to China and the Chinese people”. China’s foreign ministry said it was aware of the reports about Mbappe, who finished runner-up to England striker Harry Kane in Monday’s Ballon d’Or award.
“Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with unanimous rejection from all sectors of Chinese society,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
The Paper also cited sources at state broadcaster CCTV as saying it had suspended La Liga broadcasts and removed advertisements involving Mbappe. However, La Liga matches remained listed on CCTV’s online viewing schedule for the weekend.
The incident adds to a history of disputes involving international sports figures and sensitive political issues in China. Topics such as Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong have previously triggered backlash against global sports brands and personalities.
In 2019, China suspended sponsorship deals with the NBA, and the state broadcaster stopped showing NBA games for a year. The move followed a tweet by Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey supporting pro-democracy people in Hong Kong.
Adam Zhang, founder of Beijing-based sports consultancy Key-Solution Sports Consulting, said Mbappe needed to respond quickly to contain the controversy.
Read More : Mbappe Dropped by Chinese Brands Over Video
“It’s crucial to make a sincere statement. The sooner, the better,” Zhang told AFP before the apology was issued.
The backlash has also affected some Chinese fans’ views of the footballer.
“I used to really enjoy watching Mbappe play on the pitch, but ever since this news broke yesterday, I have lost that admiration, sorry to say,” said Zhang Jingqi, a 30-year-old mall worker in Beijing.
