Brief
Mbappé apologises to China after Mao comment sparks sponsor fallout
The French forward’s apology follows the loss of three Chinese sponsorships and criticism from Beijing.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Kylian Mbappé issued a public apology on Tuesday after a video of him referring to Mao Zedong as a "dictator" generated backlash on Chinese social media, according to dailytimes.com.pk.
What happened
The clip emerged from an interview on the French talk show "The Bridge" where Mbappé answered a question about his favourite internet meme by mentioning a video that superimposed his face onto a Chinese leader, apparently Mao. The remark prompted criticism on platforms such as Weibo and calls for a boycott of the Real Madrid forward.
What the reports add
The article notes that Chinese beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy firm Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground each announced the termination of their endorsement contracts with Mbappé. It also reports that the Chinese social‑media platform RedNote said it would remove promotional material featuring the player and block new followers.
What was said
Mbappé said in a statement, "My comment was ill‑judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," and added that he apologised to everyone who felt upset by his words.
How it came about
The controversy follows a pattern of heightened sensitivity in China to remarks perceived as insulting to national symbols, echoing earlier Felo News coverage of the sponsor terminations and the Chinese foreign ministry’s response.
Key facts
- Mbappé apologised for an ill‑judged comment that referred to Mao Zedong as a dictator (dailytimes.com.pk)
- Chinese companies Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground ended sponsorship deals with Mbappé (dailytimes.com.pk)
- RedNote announced it would remove Mbappé‑related promotional content and restrict his account (dailytimes.com.pk)
Sources
- [1] dailytimes.com.pk — originally reported as “Kylian Mbappe apologises to China over ‘dictator’ remark”
