Kylian Mbappé loses Chinese sponsors after Mao joke controversy
French star Kylian Mbappé faces a backlash in China after a video of him joking about Mao Zedong leads to sponsor terminations, broadcast suspensions, and social media restrictions.
At a glance
- Kylian Mbappé was dropped by Chinese sponsors Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu and Milkground after a video of him joking about Mao Zedong circulated.
- Chinese state media suspended La Liga broadcasts and muted his Xiaohongshu and Weibo accounts, while he issued apologies in three languages on X.
- The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that actions hurting Chinese feelings will face societal opposition, and sponsors have terminated partnerships.
French football star Kylian Mbappé faced a swift backlash in China on October 27, 2026, after a video of him joking about Mao Zedong sparked sponsor terminations, broadcast suspensions and social‑media restrictions.
Sponsor fallout Chinese companies Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu and Milkground announced the termination of their partnerships with Mbappé, according to company statements. Dongpeng’s sports drink brand Bushuila had only unveiled him as its ambassador in April 2026. On and Dior also reportedly removed Chinese promotional content featuring the player, though they did not announce a global termination.
Chinese media and government response China’s state broadcaster CCTV suspended La Liga coverage and matches involving the French forward, while pulling advertisements in which he appeared. An unnamed China Media Group representative warned that Mbappé’s apology would be judged by his actions, urging Real Madrid and La Liga to learn from the incident. The star’s accounts on Xiaohongshu and Weibo were muted, and a People’s Daily commentary platform reinforced the criticism. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun noted the ministry was aware of the reports and said words hurting Chinese feelings would meet joint opposition.
Apology and aftermath Mbappé issued apologies in Chinese, French and English on X on October 27, acknowledging his comments were ill‑judged and had hurt many Chinese communities worldwide. La Liga also released a statement expressing deep regret over the hurt caused to Chinese fans. Weibo reported that four topics related to the football star were among the platform’s top 10 searches on October 27, and the social‑media restrictions had not been lifted as of October 28.
Source: CNBC Top News.
Questions and answers
- What sparked the backlash against Kylian Mbappé in China?
- A video from French show "The Bridge" where Mbappé joked about Mao Zedong as a dictator sparked the controversy.
- Which brands terminated their partnerships with Mbappé in China?
- Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu and Milkground ended their deals; On and Dior removed Chinese promotional content featuring him.
- What actions did Chinese authorities and broadcasters take?
- CCTV suspended La Liga coverage and matches involving Mbappé, pulled ads, and muted his Xiaohongshu and Weibo accounts.
Original reporting: CNBC Top News (cnbc.com)
kylian mbappéchinasponsorshipreal madrid
