Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has apologised for remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, describing them as “ill-judged” after two major Chinese companies severed their commercial ties with him.
“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,” Mbappe said in a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday.
The backlash erupted after a video circulated online showing the 27-year-old France captain describing a meme featuring his face superimposed on a Chinese leader as the funniest he had seen.
He appeared to refer to the figure as “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator,” in an apparent reference to Mao, who led the Chinese Communist Party until his death in 1976.
Dongpeng Beverage, a Chinese drinks manufacturer, announced on Tuesday that it was ending its partnership with the footballer, citing its opposition to comments that offend national sentiments.
“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” the company said, adding, “With immediate effect, we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe.”
Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, also withdrew its support for the Real Madrid forward.
“With immediate effect, our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe,” the company said.
“Mengniu firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people,” it added.
The decisions sparked widespread debate on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where Dongpeng’s termination of its partnership with Mbappe became a trending topic.
Remarks about Mao, regarded in China as the country’s founding leader, remain highly sensitive, with comments considered disrespectful often provoking strong public reactions.
In a September interview with French sports newspaper L’Equipe, Mbappe had discussed memes comparing him to historical dictators.
“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.
“Being compared to individuals who murder others, or who have brought misery to millions upon millions of people — well, I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that in my life,” he added.
Sports personalities have previously faced criticism in China over politically sensitive issues involving Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong.
In 2019, a social media post by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong led China to suspend NBA sponsorship agreements and halt game broadcasts for a year.
Four years later, former NBA player Dwight Howard faced criticism on Chinese social media after referring to Taiwan as a country in a video featuring its then vice president, Lai Ching-te.
