China refuses to air Real Madrid match after Kylian Mbappe's joke about Mao

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV refused to air Real Madrid's La Liga match despite Mbappé's apology for joking about Mao Zedong on French television.

Real Madrid defeated Racing Santander 3-0 on Sunday, but Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not air the match following controversy over Kylian Mbappé's remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Last week, the France captain joked on a French television programme about a meme showing his face superimposed on that of "a Chinese dictator" resembling Mao. In China, where Mao's legacy as founder of the People's Republic is revered, mocking him or describing him as a dictator is strictly taboo. Mbappé subsequently apologised, saying his comment was "ill-judged" and that he now understood it hurt many people in China and Chinese communities worldwide.

China Media Group (CMG), CCTV's parent organisation, had suspended La Liga broadcasts and demanded apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and the league as "an absolute prerequisite" for resolving the dispute. All three apologised, but CMG has not clarified when broadcasts might resume. The controversy has also had commercial consequences, with several Chinese brands dropping Mbappé from sponsorship deals.