Multiple Chinese brands have severed ties with French international Kylian Mbappé following growing outrage over remarks regarding a meme featuring late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. In circulating clips from French talk show The Bridge, the Real Madrid forward described a clip with his face placed over an image resembling Mao as the meme "that makes me laugh the most... the one where there's a video of a guy, I think it's a Chinese dictator." Mbappé, who did not refer to Mao by name, also stated in the unverified footage that he uses the meme with his friends regularly.
The controversy swiftly prompted commercial and diplomatic reactions. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian addressed the situation, noting that actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese public "will naturally be met with opposition from all sectors of Chinese society." In response, commercial partners quickly moved away from the star, who holds significant commercial backing in the country. Mengniu, China's largest dairy manufacturer, and drinks brand Dongpeng announced zero-tolerance policies regarding conduct that harms national sentiments, while Chinese football platform Dongqiudi branded the remarks offensive and inappropriate.
The repercussions are increasingly affecting Spanish football's media presence in the region. According to domestic media outlet The Paper, state network CCTV has moved to suspend La Liga broadcasts, with state-run newspaper The Global Times adding that the broadcaster's news applications have pulled all content regarding the striker. Online sentiment on Weibo grew increasingly critical, with users accusing the forward of offending the public while profiting from the market, although the lack of direct explanations from brands left some social media users uncertain about what precisely occurred.
Neither Mbappé nor representatives of The Bridge have issued an official comment, and the source video has been taken down from the program's YouTube platform. Mbappé, who made his Real Madrid debut in August 2024, has previously faced the "dictator" label over his authority in footballing circles, addressing the comparison in a September interview with France Football where he noted that comparisons to figures who killed or caused misery across history reveal "a lack of political and human awareness." As the Chinese Communist Party continues to hold Mao as an unquestioned national icon, the fallout continues to expand across the player's presence in China.