Mbappe apologises after 'dictator' comment angers Chinese fans and costs him two sponsors

Kylian Mbappe has apologised for his "ill-judged" comment linked to Mao Zedong that angered Chinese football fans and cost him at least two sponsors in the country.

The French football star was dropped by two major brands in China on Tuesday after a video circulated online in which the Real Madrid forward apparently joked that the funniest internet meme he had seen was of his face digitally altered onto that of "some guy - I think he's a Chinese dictator". While Mbappe did not name Mao in the video, the remark was linked to China's founding leader.

In a statement published on his social media accounts, the 27-year-old wrote: "My comment was ill-judged and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world." He said he "reacted to an image of myself" during the interview.

"I apologise to everyone my words have upset," Mbappe went on to add. "This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry." The statement was published in French, Mandarin and English.

The video, which shows Mbappe preparing to go on air, was purportedly filmed in April, as verified by Al Jazeera. The clip was shared by French football podcast "The Bridge" and widely circulated on social media on Monday.

The maelstrom caused by the Real Madrid forward's comments prompted La Liga to issue an apology on behalf of the league and the club. "La Liga deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappe's recent comments have caused among Chinese fans. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent La Liga," the league said in a statement.

La Liga president Javier Tebas issued an apology on X and said the organisation deeply regretted the alleged comments that "have caused discomfort and offence in China". "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."

Chinese drinks giant Dongpeng has terminated its contract with Mbappe "with immediate effect". "Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments," it said in a statement. Advertisements showing AI-generated images of the France captain drinking a Dongpeng sports drink were regularly shown in China during this year's FIFA World Cup.

Mengniu, China's largest dairy producer, also cut ties with the Real Madrid forward, who until this incident was hugely popular among Chinese fans with millions of followers on social media.

In China, satire or jokes about Mao, the country's founding leader who ruled it from 1949 until his death in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo.

State media outlet China Daily said a remark about an internet meme had triggered a backlash among his Chinese fans, threatened his lucrative commercial relationships and offered a sharp reminder of the limits of celebrity influence. The state-backed Global Times said: "What did he say? Many Chinese would rather not repeat it," and added: "The message from Chinese consumers is clear: Respect is not optional; one doesn't get to profit from China while disrespecting it. Not a chance."

China's state television has halted broadcasts of all matches and events involving La Liga and Mbappe, and all advertisements involving Mbappe have been removed, state-backed media outlet the Paper reported on Tuesday.

As of 07:00 GMT, four topics related to Mbappe were still among the top 10 trending searches on China's social media platform Weibo. Some netizens called for China to "blacklist" Mbappe and reduce his commercial value to zero; these comments received hundreds of likes.

When asked about the incident, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said 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."

Mbappe - one of the world's most prominent athletes, with ties to firms from sportswear brand On Holding to hotel chain Accor and toy maker Lego - became the latest sports star to fall foul of a faux pas in China. Many Chinese media outlets condemned Mbappe's apparent remarks, but did not repeat them.