Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid striker and captain of the French national team, apologized after referring to Mao Zedong, former Chinese leader, as a "dictator," which sparked strong backlash in China.
Foreign news agencies reported on 27 Oct 2026 that Kylian Mbappé, a global football superstar and captain of France, apologized after calling Mao Zedong, former Chinese leader, a "dictator," provoking heavy opposition in China and prompting many Chinese brands to cancel contracts.
The controversy began when Mbappé appeared on the talk show The Bridge and mentioned his favorite internet meme, laughing and explaining, “It’s a video of a man whom I think is a Chinese dictator...” before showing the meme, which depicted Mao Zedong’s image edited with Mbappé’s face.
This image was created to mock Mbappé’s nickname "dictator," a label and joke he has faced often because he seems to wield absolute influence and power in his club; Thai media have nicknamed him "President Mbappé" for the same reason.
The situation escalated when the Chinese football forum Dongqiudi posted the clip, calling it inappropriate and hurtful to Chinese people's feelings, leading to a viral campaign demanding a boycott of Mbappé and Real Madrid.
Recently, Mbappé issued a statement apologizing: “My words were thoughtless, and I now understand they caused distress to many people in China and the global Chinese community. I apologize to everyone offended by my remarks.”
La Liga, the private organization managing Spain’s top two professional football leagues, also apologized, stating it “deeply regrets that Kylian Mbappé’s recent remarks have caused offense among Chinese football fans.”
However, public dissatisfaction online seems to be growing, as several brands have started severing ties with the French striker, though they have not directly referenced the controversial video.
Chinese dairy giant Mengniu and energy drink company Dongpeng issued statements affirming their principle of “zero tolerance for actions that hurt the feelings and emotions of the nation,” immediately terminating Mbappé’s endorsement contracts.
Chinese state media outlet The Global Times reported that CCTV’s news app would remove all content related to Mbappé and that CCTV has suspended live broadcasts of Spain’s La Liga on television screens.
Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said, “Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people are naturally opposed by all sectors of Chinese society.”
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Source:bbc