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.
In a statement published on his X account on Tuesday, the 27-year-old France captain acknowledged 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,” Mbappé said.
What Mbappé Said About Mao Zedong
The controversy followed the circulation of a video in which Mbappé reacted to an internet meme featuring his face superimposed on that of a Chinese historical leader.
Describing the meme as the funniest he had seen, the footballer reportedly referred to the figure as “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator,” in an apparent reference to Mao Zedong, who led the Chinese Communist Party and died in 1976.
The comments sparked criticism online, with the issue attracting significant attention on Chinese social media.
References to Mao, widely regarded in China as a founding leader of the modern state, can be sensitive, and remarks perceived as disrespectful towards him may trigger strong public reactions.
Dongpeng Beverage Terminates Partnership With Mbappé
Chinese drinks manufacturer Dongpeng Beverage announced on Tuesday that it was ending its partnership with the Real Madrid forward.
The company said it maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards behaviour it considered offensive to national sentiments.
“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” Dongpeng Beverage said.
It added that all cooperation with Mbappé was being terminated with immediate effect.
Mengniu Also Ends Cooperation With the Footballer
Mengniu, one of China's largest dairy producers, also announced that it was ending its partnership with the French international.
“With immediate effect, our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé,” the company said.
Mengniu added that it opposed words or actions it considered harmful to the feelings of the Chinese people.
The decisions by both companies generated widespread discussion on Weibo, China's major social media platform. The termination of Dongpeng Beverage's partnership with Mbappé became a trending topic.
Mbappé Had Previously Addressed Comparisons With Historical Dictators
The latest controversy comes after Mbappé discussed internet memes comparing him to historical dictators in an interview with French sports newspaper L'Équipe in September.
At the time, he acknowledged that some memes were intended as humour but expressed concern about comparisons involving individuals associated with mass suffering and violence.
“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.
He added that being compared with individuals responsible for the deaths and suffering of millions was something he found difficult to accept.
His latest apology comes amid the commercial consequences of the remarks, with both Chinese companies confirming that they were ending their cooperation with him.
Previous Backlash Against International Sports Figures in China
Mbappé is not the first international sports figure to face criticism in China over politically sensitive comments.
In 2019, a social media post by Daryl Morey, then general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team, supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong prompted a major backlash. China suspended sponsorship deals involving the National Basketball Association (NBA) and stopped broadcasting NBA games for a year.
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.
The incidents illustrate how comments involving politically sensitive subjects can have consequences for sports figures and their commercial relationships in China.
Mbappé has now publicly apologised for his remarks, following the decisions by Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu to terminate their partnerships with the footballer.
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