French football star Kylian Mbappe has apologised to the Chinese people and Chinese communities worldwide after his comments about a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong triggered a backlash in China and prompted three companies to end their partnerships 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,” Mbappe said in a statement on Tuesday.
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“I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” he added.
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https://t.co/MQBo9NCSy5
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) October 27, 2026
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The apology came after beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced that they were ending their agreements with the France national team captain. In similarly worded statements, the companies said they opposed “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment”.
The companies did not specify what prompted their decisions. However, their announcements followed the circulation of a video clip on X that appeared to show Mbappe being interviewed ahead of his appearance on the French online talk show The Bridge.
In the video, Mbappe is asked about his favourite meme featuring himself. The Real Madrid forward responds that it was “a video someone made of a guy … I think he was a Chinese dictator”.
The clip then shows an altered image featuring Mbappe's face on the body of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China.
Football fans online have jokingly described Mbappe as a dictator, reflecting the perception that he often overshadows his teammates and even the clubs he represents. Memes portraying him as Mao and other authoritarian leaders have also circulated widely.
China Backlash Against Kylian Mbappe
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed the controversy in response to a question, saying that “words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society”.
Chinese social media platform RedNote also issued a statement, saying its content partnership with Mbappe had ended on December 31, 2024. The platform said it would “remove related promotional materials” and expressed opposition to “any conduct that hurts national sentiment”.
Mbappe has featured in several advertising campaigns in China, promoting products ranging from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one advertisement for Dongpeng, he delivers a slogan in Chinese.
In a campaign for Mengniu, he appears alongside Argentine football great Lionel Messi.
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The controversy has triggered criticism on Chinese social media, where hashtags including “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappe” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappe” topped Weibo's trending list.
“Football fans boycott Mbappe” was also trending, with some users expressing anger over his remarks and others telling him not to visit China.
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