Major Chinese brands drop Mbappé as backlash grows over Mao joke
He allegedly said his "favourite meme" is "the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator".
Major Chinese brands cut ties with Mbappé as anger mounts over Mao joke
Several Chinese brands have dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé as online outrage intensified over alleged remarks by him referring to the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Mbappé reportedly said on French talk show The Bridge that his "favourite meme" is "the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator".
"That really makes me laugh. I use it with my friends all the time," the Real Madrid forward adds in unverified clips that have been circulating online.
Mbappé does not name Mao directly, and the original video is no longer available on the show's YouTube channel, but screengrabs have spread across Chinese social media.
China's foreign ministry has also commented, with spokesperson Lin Jian saying: "We have noted the relevant reports. Words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with opposition from all sectors of Chinese society."
It is not clear when the interview aired, but Chinese football forum Dongqiudi highlighted the comments on Monday night in a statement, calling them "inappropriate" and saying they "hurt the feelings of Chinese people".
A backlash soon erupted online, with some users accusing Mbappé — who is hugely popular in China and has major endorsements — of "profiting from the Chinese market yet making remarks that offend the Chinese public".
"International public figures, in particular, should show greater respect and sensitivity, as national sentiment must never be taken lightly," read another comment on Weibo.
Mao founded Communist China in 1949 and governed through turbulent decades in the 1960s and 1970s. His push for rapid industrialisation, which he called the Great Leap Forward, triggered a famine that killed tens of millions. Then came the Cultural Revolution: a violent purge of anyone viewed as a threat to Communism, including Chinese intellectuals, landowners, artists and often rivals within the Party.
His death in 1976 ushered in a new era for China, which began opening its doors to the global economy. Even as the country moved away from Mao's rule, he continued to be celebrated by the Chinese Communist Party as a national icon whose legacy was beyond reproach.
According to The Paper, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV is suspending La Liga matches. Some reports also say CCTV's news apps no longer carry content related to the French striker.
The Chinese brands did not explicitly explain why they were ending the contracts, but cited hurt sentiments.
The country's largest dairy producer, Mengniu, said it "firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people".
Drinks giant Dongpeng said: "Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments."
Mbappé, who made his Real Madrid debut in August 2024, has been nicknamed "the dictator" in football circles because of his influence and control over club and international football operations.
In 2024, he sued a French influencer and kebab shop owner for using his name in the description of one of the shop's sandwiches. Some say the episode strengthened his "dictator" image.
The nickname has also made Mbappé the target of many memes online.
France teammate Ousmane Dembele joined the trend during the 2026 World Cup by calling Mbappé Mobut — a reference to Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, for three decades.
In an interview with France Football in September, Mbappé said he understood the playful nature behind many of these memes, but added that they "sometimes reveals a lack of political and human awareness among people".
"There's a side that's a bit less funny, because we know the damage people like that have caused throughout history.
"Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions upon millions of people miserable... I don't think I've done that in my life," he said.