"My mother doesn't know yet": Mbappé-Mao Zedong meme creator breaks silence on diplomatic crisis

Younes Khelifi, creator of the viral meme depicting Mbappé as Mao Zedong, discusses the diplomatic fallout after the Real Madrid star's response sparked Chinese boycotts and suspension of La Liga broadcasts.

Younes Khelifi, known as "frenchaicovers" on X, created a meme in August 2023 showing Kylian Mbappé with the features of Mao Zedong. When Mbappé reacted to the image by calling the former Chinese leader a "dictator", the post triggered a major diplomatic incident. Chinese brands subsequently boycotted the France captain, and La Liga broadcasts were suspended in China.

Khelifi discovered the scale of the controversy when he woke up on Tuesday morning and found himself at the centre of what he described as "a diplomatic incident". He initially worried about potential legal consequences from Mbappé's camp but said he had checked and was not overly concerned. He also joked about the financial disparity, tweeting that if Mbappé sued him, he would be "financially ruined".

The meme creator expressed concern about visiting China in the future and considered contacting the French embassy there to ensure everything was in order. Despite the chaos, Khelifi said he was handling the episode well, though he still needed to tell his mother about the incident.