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Chinese brands drop Mbappé after comment about 'Chinese dictator' meme
Confirmed
In Short: The furore began when Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to Mbappé's comments.
Kylian Mbappé has issued a formal apology after a casual comment about an online meme triggered a sharp commercial and public backlash in China.
During a recent interview, Mbappé reportedly told French talk show The Bridge that the meme he found most amusing was one where his face was photoshopped onto that of “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator,” referring to Mao Zedong.
In a statement, Mbappé acknowledged his mistake, saying, “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world.” He added, “I apologize to everyone my words have upset.”
The backlash has also reached social media platforms, with RedNote announcing the removal of any promotional material from their past collaborations with Mbappé.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that “words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”
The China Football Association also weighed in, lodging a stern protest with Real Madrid and demanding a public and formal apology from both the player and the club.
The incident highlights the sensitivity surrounding discussions of historical figures like Mao Zedong in China, and the swift action taken by brands to distance themselves from controversial figures.
Mbappé's apology and the brands' decisions reflect the significant commercial presence of international sports stars in China and the potential consequences of offending Chinese sentiment.
The controversy has gained traction on Chinese social media, with hashtags related to the termination of brand partnerships topping Weibo's trending list.
What's confirmed
- Mbappé had reportedly told French talk show The Bridge the meme "that makes me laugh the most, it's the one where there's a video of a guy, I think it's a Chinese dictator..."
- "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," Mbappé said in a statement.
- Kylian Mbappé 's face appears in ads across China, but now at least three companies are cutting ties with the France and Real Madrid star after he made some comments apparently referring to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.
- The Associated Press was immediately unable to reach Mbappé's representatives for comment.
- On Chinese social media, there were already several comments criticizing him.
- The hashtags "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé" and "Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé" topped Weibo's trending list.
- "any conduct that hurts national sentiment."
- Soccer fans online jokingly call the star — who's said to overshadow many of his teammates and even the teams he plays on — a dictator, and memes showing him as Mao or other autocratic leaders are widely circulated.
- The companies did not specify what prompted their decisions, but they released their statements after a clip that appeared to show Mbappé being interviewed ahead of going on the French online talk show “The Bridge” circulated on X.
- He replies that it was “a video someone made of a guy … I think he was a Chinese dictator” before the video shows an altered image depicting Mbappé’s face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.
What's still developing
- Weibo users are recirculating the clip by blurring the meme and redacting references to Mao Chinese fans have been criticising Mbappé – who is popular in China and has huge brand endorsements – of "profiting from the Chinese market yet making remarks that offend the Chinese public".
- The furore appeared to kick off on Monday night after Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments in a statement, saying they were "inappropriate" and "hurt the feelings of Chinese people".
- Few topics are as sensitive as Mao, which may explain why brands were so quick to terminate partnerships with a global sports star like Mbappé.
- Mbappé has a significant commercial presence in China China is a major market for international sports stars and homegrown brands have signed multimillion-dollar endorsement contracts with Mbappé, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, and NBA player Stephen Curry.
- The meme is part of a running joke about the Real Madrid forward being called a "dictator" because of his huge influence in football.
- But some have blurred the meme itself as well as the part of the comment they found offensive, when Mbappe refers to "a Chinese dictator".
- In Italy and France, cheesemakers are struggling to cope.
- Mbappé had not commented at the time of publication.
- In the video, widely shared on X, Mbappé is asked about the funniest internet meme he has seen featuring himself.
- He says he "uses [the meme] with friends all the time".
- "During a recent interview I reacted to an image of myself," he said.
- Mbappé loses Chinese sponsors as ‘Mao Zedong’ remark sparks BACKLASH – Global Times The athlete reportedly confessed to not knowing who the leader was, calling him ‘a Chinese dictator’ Football fans have long joked online that Mbappé “overshadows” teammates and teams, calling him a dictator, while memes depicting him as Mao or other autocratic leaders have circulated widely.