Mbappé-China row: new boycott as state TV suspends La Liga broadcasts

Chinese state TV CCTV suspends La Liga broadcasts and removes Mbappé ads after he joked about Mao Zedong in a viral video; three major sponsors have already ended deals.

Kylian Mbappé faces an escalating boycott in China after a video circulated showing him discussing memes of himself, including one he believed depicted a "Chinese dictator" — apparently referring to Mao Zedong. The Real Madrid forward's comment has sparked outrage on Chinese social media and drawn an official response from Beijing's Foreign Ministry, which called the rejection of such remarks a natural stance for all Chinese people.

Three major Chinese companies — beverage giant Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu, and cheese maker Milkground — have terminated sponsorship deals with Mbappé, citing zero tolerance for words and actions that "hurt national feelings." The boycott has now extended to state broadcaster CCTV, which suspended La Liga match broadcasts and removed all advertising featuring Mbappé effective Monday night, according to local media The Paper and Spanish news agency EFE. The suspension has not yet been officially confirmed by the channel.