Chinese brands drop Mbappé after remarks on Chinese dictator meme spark backlash

State media suspends coverage as official fury grows over alleged Mao jest

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

Updated27 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources4 outlets

French footballer Kylian Mbappé is facing a severe commercial and political backlash in China after allegedly mocking the late leader Mao Zedong in a talk show interview, prompting major brands to sever ties and state broadcasters to pull his content.

French superstar Kylian Mbappé has found himself at the centre of a storm in China following comments made on the French talk show The Bridge. In unverified clips circulating on Chinese social media, Mbappé is seen laughing at a meme of a 'Chinese dictator', with an image superimposed on his face resembling Mao Zedong.

The original video has been removed from the show's YouTube channel, and neither Mbappé nor the program have publicly commented. However, the Chinese football forum Dongqiudi flagged the remarks on Monday, calling them 'inappropriate' and stating they 'hurt the feelings of Chinese people'.

The backlash was swift. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said words that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people would face opposition from all sectors of society. Major Chinese brands quickly moved to distance themselves. The country's largest dairy producer Mengniu said it firmly opposed actions hurting national sentiment, while drinks giant Dongpeng pledged zero tolerance for behaviour offending national sentiments. Both dropped Mbappé as a sponsor.

State broadcaster CCTV has reportedly suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches and removed content related to the striker from its news apps, according to local media reports.

Mbappé, who made his Real Madrid debut in 2024, has long been nicknamed 'the dictator' in the football world for his influence over club and international football operations. France teammate Ousmane Dembele even referred to him as 'Mobut' during the 2026 World Cup, a reference to the late Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. In a September interview, Mbappé acknowledged the memes but said they sometimes revealed a 'lack of political and human awareness', arguing he had not caused the misery associated with real dictators.

The current crisis has moved beyond football banter into a serious diplomatic and commercial issue, underscoring the sensitivity of Mao's legacy in China and the swift consequences for global figures who test it.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Highlights the immense commercial risk for global athletes whose casual banter conflicts with the political sensitivities of a key market like China.
Demonstrates the power of Chinese state media and consumer sentiment in enforcing respect for the country's founding ideology.
Underscores the deep cultural gap between Western football humor and Chinese political reverence.

Background

Mao Zedong remains a protected figure in China, with criticism or mockery widely condemned. Mbappé, a hugely popular player in China with significant brand endorsements, has long been the subject of 'dictator' memes in the football world due to his influence over club and international football operations.

Key Perspectives

Chinese Foreign Ministry (Lin Jian): Warned that actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese people will meet opposition from all sectors of society.

Chinese brands (Mengniu, Dongpeng): Have ended their sponsorships, citing a zero-tolerance policy towards behavior that offends national sentiment.

Mbappé (previous statements): Has previously acknowledged the memes but argued he has not caused the misery associated with real dictators.

What to Watch

Whether Mbappé or The Bridge will issue a direct statement or apology regarding the clip.
If the boycott expands to other Chinese and international sponsors.
The broader impact on Mbappé's brand value in Asia, particularly for Real Madrid's extensive Chinese fanbase.

Sources

Chinese Brands Drop Soccer Star Mbappé as Online Backlash Grows · Bloomberg
Major Chinese brands drop Mbappé as backlash grows over Mao joke · BBC News
Chinese sponsors cut ties with Kylian Mbappé after Mao meme backlash · ABC News
Major Chinese brands drop Mbappé as backlash grows over Mao joke · BBC News

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 5 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedChinese brands dropped Mbappé after the backlash over the Mao meme.BBC News: “Major Chinese brands drop Mbappé as backlash grows over Mao joke.”
Partly supportedState media suspended coverage as official fury grew over the alleged Mao jest.BBC News: “Chinese state broadcaster, CCTV, is suspending La Liga matches, Chinese media outlet The Paper reported on Tuesday.”
SupportedMbappé faced backlash in China over alleged comments referring to Mao Zedong.BBC News: “Several Chinese brands have dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé as backlash grew online over alleged comments by him referring to the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.”
Partly supportedThe alleged comments prompted major brands to sever ties with Mbappé.BBC News: “The Chinese brands have not explicitly said why they were terminating the contract but referred to hurt sentiments.”
Partly supportedState broadcasters pulled Mbappé content.BBC News: “According to state-owned newspaper The Global Times, CCTV's news apps no longer have content related to the French striker.”
Reports differForeign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said words that hurt Chinese people’s feelings would face opposition from all sectors of society.BBC News: “Words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”
SupportedDongqiudi called the remarks “inappropriate” and said they “hurt the feelings of Chinese people.”BBC News: “Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments on Monday night in a statement, saying they were “inappropriate” and “hurt the feelings of Chinese people”.”
SupportedMbappé said the memes sometimes revealed a “lack of political and human awareness.”BBC News: “In an interview with France Football in September, Mbappé acknowledged the light-heartedness behind many of these memes, but said they “sometimes reveals a lack of political and human awareness among people”.”
SupportedDembele called Mbappé “Mobut” during the 2026 World Cup.BBC News: “France team-mate Ousmane Dembele jumped on the trend during the 2026 World Cup by calling Mbappé Mobut”
Partly supportedThe episode shows swift consequences for global figures who test the sensitivity of Mao’s legacy.Just In: “In China, making jokes about the country’s leaders is generally considered taboo.”