Kylian Mbappe apologises to China after backlash over 'ill-judged' Mao meme comments

Mbappe apologised after Chinese brands ended sponsorship deals over his comments about a meme comparing him to Mao Zedong, which he called 'ill-judged'.

France captain Kylian Mbappe issued a public apology on Tuesday after several Chinese commercial partners severed ties with him over remarks he made during an interview. In a video, Mbappe described a meme of himself as one where his face was edited onto "some guy — I think he's a Chinese dictator", an apparent reference to an image superimposing him over a photograph of Mao Zedong.

In China, satire or jokes directed at Mao, the nation's founding leader, are considered deeply disrespectful and remain taboo. "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," Mbappe wrote on X. "I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry."

Dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, alongside beverage firm Eastroc, confirmed they were ending all cooperation with the Real Madrid player with immediate effect. Other major sponsors including Lego, On Holding and Accor did not immediately comment. LaLiga president Javier Tebas also posted an apology, stating the league deeply regretted the remarks and was working with Chinese partners to resolve the situation.