Kylian Mbappé Apologizes After Mao Zedong Dictator Remark Sparks China Backlash
Real Madrid forward and France soccer captain Kylian Mbappé issued an apology on Tuesday to address a significant backlash in China stemming from comments he made about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The controversy began after a now-deleted appearance on a French podcast, where Mbappé discussed a viral meme that featured his face photoshopped onto an image of “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator.” According to “We hope La Liga, Real Madrid, and Mbappé himself will genuinely learn a lesson from this, offer a sincere apology, and thoroughly correct their mistakes,” CCTV, In a statement. These comments received hundreds of likes.
Addressing the incident in a formal statement, Mbappé acknowledged that his remark was ill-judged. He expressed his realization that the comment had caused pain to many individuals within China and across the global Chinese community, emphasizing that his words were not intended to cause offense. The incident has highlighted the significant risks faced by high-profile athletes and brands operating in the Chinese market, where satire concerning Mao, the founder of modern China who served from 1949 until his 1976 death, is considered a social taboo. “I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” added Mbappé, who has ties with firms including Swiss sportswear brand On Holding, hotel chain Accor, and Lego. “This was absolutely not my intention.”. ⚽️ sign up for THE beautiful game by sports ⚽️. According to “Our commitment is to keep working together so that an individual episode does not harm the important advances achieved nor affect the millions of Chinese fans who follow our competitions,” Tebas, In a statement posted to social media. “China is and will continue to be a strategic partner for LaLiga.”. Other major organisations that have incurred the wrath of Beijing and Chinese netizens include fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana, Swiss watchmaker Swatch and the National Basketball Association. According to “Mbappé’s team knew, or should have known, what the true cost of Chinese brand endorsements was all about,”, Terrence Burns, sports sponsorship expert and CEO of the T. Burns Sports Group. Accor did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to chinese state media outlet China Daily, Mbappé’s remark had “triggered a backlash among his Chinese fans, threatened his lucrative commercial relationships and offered a sharp reminder of the limits of celebrity influence”. Many Chinese would rather not repeat it,” the state-backed Global Times added. “The message from Chinese consumers is clear: Respect is not optional; one doesn’t get to profit from China while disrespecting it. “We are taking the measures within our reach and working directly with our partners and interlocutors in China to overcome this situation,” Tebas wrote. “A relationship built over so many years cannot be damaged by a single episode.”.
Commercial fallout was immediate for the star, with several Chinese brands, including Eastroc Beverage, Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, and dairy producer Mengniu, announcing they were ceasing all cooperation with him. These companies stated they have zero tolerance for actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. While On Holding, which recently signed Mbappé, expressed respect for China and welcomed the apology, other partners remained silent or noted that marketing materials remained in place.
LaLiga President Javier Tebas intervened to mitigate the diplomatic friction, stating he held a meeting with China’s ambassador to Spain to discuss the situation. Tebas emphasized that the league aims to protect its relationship with Chinese fans and described the incident as an isolated episode. He issued an official apology on behalf of the league, expressing deep regret for the discomfort caused by the alleged comments.
The reaction from Chinese institutions and the public has been severe.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson remarked that actions hurting the feelings of the public would face joint opposition from all sectors of society. Meanwhile, state broadcaster CCTV adopted a cautious stance, noting they would observe the player’s future actions to see if he learns from the mistake. On the social platform Weibo, Mbappé remained a trending topic, with some users calling for a total boycott of the player, while other fans continued to circulate memes depicting him as an influential force in his teams. Some recovered quickly while others took years. Four topics related to Mbappé were still among the top 10 trending searches on Weibo, as of 0700 GMT. However, saying it would listen to what Mbappé had to say after his apology, and “even more importantly” watch what he does, state broadcaster CCTV struck a more conciliatory tone. Fans have been creating memes superimposing Mbappé’s face on images of military and political leaders to suggest that he has the power to influence decisions at the teams he plays for.
The controversy stems from an existing trend where the European press and fans have ironically dubbed the player “the dictator.” Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management, observed that in attempting to make light of this internal locker room reputation, the athlete inadvertently crossed a red line. Reflecting on the meme culture in a previous interview with L’Equipe, Mbappé had noted that while some jokes were harmless, those portraying him as a dictator reflected a concerning lack of political awareness.
