Major Chinese brands drop Mbappé as backlash grows over Mao joke

In practice, a number of Chinese brands have dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé as backlash grew online over alleged comments by him referring to the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Key points

• Mao founded Communist China in 1949 and ruled through tumultuous decades in the 1960s and 1970s.
• Mbappé reportedly informed French talk show The Bridge that his "favourite meme" is "the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator".
• In 2024, he sued a French influencer and kebab shop owner for using his name in the description of one of the shop's sandwiches.
• Mbappé does not identify Mao by name and the original video is no longer on the show's YouTube channel, but screengrabs have spread on Chinese social media.
• Even China's foreign ministry has weighed in, with spokesperso Lin Jian: We have observed the relevant reports.

Mbappé reportedly informed French talk show The Bridge that his "favourite meme" is "the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator". As he speaks, a meme appears with his face superimposed on an image resembling Mao.

"That really makes me laugh. I employ it with my friends all the time, " the Real Madrid forward adds in unverified clips that have been circulating online.

Even China's foreign ministry has weighed in, with spokesperso Lin Jian: "We have observed the relevant reports. Words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese individuals will naturally be met with opposition from all sectors of Chinese society." Neither Mbappé nor the The Bridge have commented on this yet.

It's unclear when the interview was broadcast but Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments on Monday night in an official note, saying they were "inappropriate" and "hurt the feelings of Chinese people".

Notably, a backlash rapidly ensued online, with some users criticising Mbappé – who is hugely popular in China and has sizeable endorsements – of "profiting from the Chinese market yet making remarks that offend the Chinese public".

"International public figures, in particular, should show greater respect and sensitivity, as national sentiment must never be taken lightly, " read another comment on Weibo.

Mao founded Communist China in 1949 and ruled through tumultuous decades in the 1960s and 1970s. His attempt at rapid industrialisation. It he called the Great Leap Forward, led to a famine that killed tens of millions. Then came the Cultural Revolution: a violent purge of anyone seen as a threat to Communism. It included Chinese intellectuals, landowners, artists and often rivals within the Party.

His death in 1976 brought a new era for China. It began to open its doors to the global economy. Even as the country moved away from Mao's rule, he continued to be hailed by the Chinese Communist Party as a national icon whose legacy was beyond reproach.

Given how Mao is regarded to this day in China, the may seem unsurprising to plenty of.

For context, the backlash is still growing. Chinese state broadcaster, CCTV, is suspending La Liga matches, according to The Paper. And some reports claim t 's state broadcaster CCTV's news apps no longer have content related to the French striker.

Meanwhile, the Chinese brands have not explicitly remarked why they were terminating the contract but referred to hurt sentiments.

For context, the country's largest dairy producer, Mengniu, remarked it "firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people".

Drinks giant Dongpeng, remarked: "Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments."

Given brands have not mentioned the controversial clip, some users on social media are additionally asking what exactly Mbappé had stated or done that was offensive.

Mbappé, who created his debut for Real Madrid in August 2024, has been nicknamed "the dictator" in the football world as of his influence and control over club and international football operations.

In 2024, he sued a French influencer and kebab shop owner for using his name in the description of one of the shop's sandwiches. Some say the incident reinforced his "dictator" portrayal.

Notably, the nickname has additionally produced Mbappé the subject of plenty of memes online.

France team-mate Ousmane Dembele jumped on the trend during the 2026 World Cup by calling Mbappé Mobut – a reference to Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, for three decades.

In an interview with France Football in September, Mbappé acknowledged the light-heartedness behind plenty of of these memes, but stated they "sometimes reveals a lack of political and human awareness among people".

Since we know the damage residents like that have caused throughout history, There's a side that's a bit less funny.

"Being compared to individuals who murder others, or who have produced millions upon millions of individuals miserable. I don't think I've done that in my life, " he had remarked.

Taken together, the developments around major Chinese brands drop Mbappé as backlash grows over Mao joke point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.