Brief
Chinese brands end deals with Mbappé after dictator comment
Three Chinese companies ended contracts with the French football star after a clip suggested he called Mao Zedong a dictator.
By Felo News Desk · Published
French football captain Kylian Mbappé faced the loss of three Chinese sponsorships after a video surfaced in which he appeared to describe a meme of himself as "a Chinese dictator" while discussing his favourite meme on the talk show "The Bridge". Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy group Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground each issued statements on Tuesday saying they were ending their agreements with Mbappé, adding they oppose "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment".
The companies did not detail what triggered the moves, but the statements followed the circulation of the clip on X. Social media platform RedNote also announced the termination of its content partnership with Mbappé, effective Dec. 31, 2024, citing the same concern over national sentiment.
The Associated Press was unable to reach Mbappé’s representatives for comment.
Key facts
- Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground ended sponsorships with Mbappé (independent.co.uk)
- The companies cited opposition to "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment" (independent.co.uk)
- The comment appeared in a clip from the talk show "The Bridge" shared on X (independent.co.uk)
- RedNote ended its content partnership with Mbappé effective Dec. 31, 2024 (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “Chinese brands cut ties with French soccer star Mbappé over ‘Chinese dictator’ remark”
