Several sponsors have severed ties with Kylian Mbappe, the star player of Real Madrid, following his remarks about a meme that likened him to Mao Zedong, a former Chinese dictator, which caused considerable controversy.
The comments made by Mbappe emerged in a video clip shared on X, accumulating over 700,000 views at the time of writing. In this clip, he answered various questions before his appearance on “The Bridge,” including inquiries about his favorite meme. He mentioned that one of his favorites portrayed him as a Chinese dictator, displaying an image of Mao.
In the same clip, he referred to the meme as “a video someone made of a guy… I think he was a Chinese dictator.”
😂🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé avoue qu’il rigole en voyant les memes qui le représentent en… dictateur. 😭 @Thebridge_show #Mbappé #Football #Memes #France https://t.co/MXgKh8Hjjq
— Que Du Foot (@Que_Du_Football) October 26, 2026
In light of his comments, several companies—including beverage producer Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu, and cheese brand Milkground—announced their decision to terminate sponsorship agreements. According to a report by ESPN, these companies expressed their opposition to “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.” Mbappe has appeared in various advertising campaigns in China, including a yogurt commercial for Mengniu related to the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
In response, Mbappe issued an apology via his official X account on Tuesday.
“In a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself. My comment was poorly thought out, and I now realize it has caused pain to many individuals in China and in Chinese communities worldwide. I apologize to everyone who was upset by my words. That was never my intention. I have great respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am truly sorry,” he stated. (RELATED: NFL Team Roasted Online After Revealing New Logo That Looks Like It Came Straight Out Of Nazi Germany)
Additionally, LaLiga, the Spanish Professional Football Association, released a statement concerning Mbappe’s remarks.
“LALIGA deeply regrets the offense caused by Kylian Mbappe’s recent remarks among Chinese fans. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not reflect the views of LALIGA. On behalf of LALIGA and all its clubs, we apologize to the extent of our institutional responsibility,” read part of the statement.
Mao Zedong established the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 and governed the country until his death in 1976.
