Mbappe apologises after backlash & boycott over reference to Mao Zedong meme

French footballer Kylian Mbappé has lost several brand partnerships in China following backlash over a circulating video in which he appears to discuss a meme depicting him as the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Mbappe has since apologised. Mbappe's club, Real Madrid, and La Liga have also apologised for the incident.

On Oct. 27, three of his brand partners in China, beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground, announced they were ending their partnerships with him.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV has also reportedly stopped airing La Liga matches and matches involving the Real Madrid forward, and removed adverts featuring him, The Paper reported.

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Discussed memes in backstage interview

The viral clip circulating online appears to show Mbappé being interviewed backstage for French online talk show The Bridge.

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When asked which meme featuring his face had made him laugh the most, he referred to a video of someone he described as “a Chinese dictator”.

The edit then showed a meme depicting his face superimposed onto Mao’s body. Mbappé did not specifically name Mao in his response.

He added that he often uses the meme with friends while playing PlayStation online.

The footage appears to be connected to his earlier appearance on The Bridge, alongside footballer Achraf Hakimi and comedian Malik Bentalha. That episode was released on YouTube on Apr. 2 this year.

Promotional footage for that episode shows Mbappé wearing the same outfit as in the backstage clip. However, the exact filming date of the short interview has not been established.

The Bridge has since removed the clip from its social media accounts, according to Spanish news outlet elDiario.es.

Brand partners announce end of cooperation

The clip’s recent virality has sparked backlash in China, with some netizens calling for a boycott of Mbappé and urging brands to cut ties with him.

In its Oct. 27 statement, Dongpeng said it firmly opposed behaviour that hurt national sentiments and maintained a zero-tolerance stance towards such conduct. It announced the immediate termination of all cooperation with Mbappé.

Mengniu and Milkground similarly announced that they were ending all cooperation with him, saying they would not tolerate words or actions that hurt the feelings of Chinese people.

The companies did not explicitly identify what prompted their decisions, although the announcements followed the clip’s circulation online.

CCTV halts broadcasts

Citing sources at China Media Group, The Paper reported that CCTV had stopped broadcasting La Liga matches and matches involving Mbappé from the previous evening.

All adverts involving the footballer had also been removed.

Mao remains a revered figure for many in China

Mao, who founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949, remains revered by many as the nation’s saviour, and jokes about him are considered taboo, Reuters reported. 

Although the Communist Party has acknowledged serious errors under his leadership, including his responsibility for the Cultural Revolution, it continues to honour his legacy and maintains that his achievements outweigh his mistakes.

Mbappé apologises for remarks

In a statement posted on X on Oct. 27, Mbappé apologised for his “ill-judged” comment.

The statement, issued in French, Chinese and English, acknowledged that his words had hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world.

“I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention,” he said. “I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.”