French soccer star Kylian Mbappé has become the target of a sweeping backlash in China after laughing at an online meme depicting him as Mao Zedong and referring to the figure as a “Chinese dictator.” State-linked media and companies condemned the Real Madrid forward, while many Chinese viewers were left unsure what he had actually said because his remarks were not reproduced in domestic reports.
Chinese companies severed commercial ties with Mbappé, broadcasters suspended Spanish league coverage, and Chinese social platforms restricted his accounts. His subsequent apology drew criticism abroad, including from a U.S. congressional committee that argued he had no reason to apologize for describing Mao as a dictator.
The meme that made Mbappé laugh
The controversy began when a clip from the French talk show The Bridge circulated online on Oct. 26. Asked about his favorite internet meme of himself, Mbappé recalled an image that put his face on “some guy … I think he was a Chinese dictator.” He said he shared the joke with friends online. As the Associated Press reported, the clip showed an altered image of Mbappé superimposed on Mao, although the player did not name Mao himself.
The meme grew out of a long-running joke among soccer fans who call Mbappé “the dictator” because of his perceived power over decisions at the clubs where he plays. Similar images have depicted him as other authoritarian figures. The Bridge subsequently removed the video from its social media accounts, according to ABC News Australia.
Mbappé had previously acknowledged that these jokes could be troubling. In an earlier interview cited by ABC News Australia, he said, “There’s a part of it that’s funny,” but added that “there’s also a part that’s a little less funny,” given the suffering caused by the historical figures in the images.
Chinese brands cut ties as broadcasts are suspended
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A lighthearted remark on a foreign talk show quickly triggered consequences in China, where criticism of Mao remains politically sensitive. According to an Agence France-Presse report, beverage producer Dongpeng and dairy companies Mengniu and Milkground all terminated partnerships with Mbappé. Dongpeng said it had “zero tolerance” for conduct that offended national sentiment.
China Media Group, which oversees state broadcaster CCTV, suspended broadcasts of Spanish La Liga matches and games involving Mbappé, according to the Associated Press. The state-run People’s Daily defended the commercial boycott, arguing that a public figure who crosses a political “red line” becomes a liability for brands.
On Chinese social media, the response extended beyond endorsements. Agence France-Presse reported that Mbappé’s accounts on Weibo and Xiaohongshu were restricted. The soccer platform Dongqiudi refused to translate his remarks, saying they were offensive to China and Chinese fans. Goal.com also reported that the site replaced Mbappé’s second-place entry in its Ballon d’Or ranking with a phrase meaning “no such person.”
Mainland viewers ask what he actually said
There was an irony in the backlash: Chinese outlets openly criticized Mbappé but often avoided telling readers what had prompted the dispute. As ABC News Australia documented, the original clip was difficult to find on mainland social networks, while the widely used platform Dongqiudi explicitly declined to translate his words.
The information gap left some viewers confused. “Maybe he said something he shouldn’t have again and hurt people’s feelings here in China,” Beijing finance worker He Xiaodou told the Associated Press. He said he knew there had been a controversy but had only a vague impression that it concerned politics.
Others questioned the scale of the response. “I think maybe some people or some companies are overreacting on this issue,” Beijing lawyer Li Zhi told the Associated Press. “It’s not a big deal. It’s not the first time this happened.” The episode underscored how official condemnation can spread widely in China even when the underlying statement is withheld from public discussion.
Apology draws criticism from US lawmakers
After the sponsor announcements, Mbappé issued an apology in multiple languages. “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” he said, according to the Associated Press. He added: “I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.”
Real Madrid and La Liga also apologized. On Oct. 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing took Mbappé’s apology “seriously,” although the commercial and broadcast consequences had not immediately been reversed.
The U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party responded sharply. In an Oct. 27 post on X reproduced by Voice of America, the committee said Mbappé “should not apologize for calling Mao Zedong a dictator.” It added: “Mao was a dictator, and by orders of magnitude, he did more harm to the Chinese people than a comment from a soccer player ever could.”
The committee pointed to the tens of millions who died during Mao’s rule, including during the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution, and criticized companies that rushed to make amends to protect commercial interests in China. Rights activist and former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom told Voice of America that he did not know what pressure Mbappé had faced, but warned that “when athletes feel they have to choose between their principles and their careers, we have a serious problem.”
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