Several Chinese brands have dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappe as backlash grows online over alleged comments he made referring to a “Chinese dictator” in a meme.
Kylian Mbappe (Credits: BBC Sport)
Mbappe reportedly told French talk show The Bridge that the meme that makes him laugh the most is “the one where there’s a video of a guy, I think it’s a Chinese dictator.” As he speaks, a meme appears with his face superimposed on an image resembling late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
“I use it with my friends all the time,” the Real Madrid forward adds in unverified clips circulating online. Mbappe does not identify Mao by name, and the original video is no longer on the show’s YouTube channel, but screengrabs have spread across Chinese social media.
Chinese brands drop Mbappe over Mao joke backlash
The backlash moved quickly. Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments on Monday night, calling them “inappropriate” and saying they “hurt the feelings of Chinese people.” The country’s largest dairy producer, Mengniu, said it “firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people,” while drinks giant Dongpeng issued a similar statement.
Even China’s foreign ministry weighed in, with spokesperson Lin Jian saying: “We have noted the relevant reports. Words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV is suspending La Liga matches, according to Chinese media outlet The Paper, and The Global Times reported that CCTV’s news apps no longer carry content related to the French striker.
Why the Mbappe backlash is still growing
The controversy touches a sensitive nerve. Mao founded Communist China in 1949 and remains hailed by the Chinese Communist Party as a national icon whose legacy is beyond reproach, even as his rule included the Great Leap Forward famine and the Cultural Revolution purges.
Online, some users criticized Mbappe, who is hugely popular in China with major brand endorsements, for “profiting from the Chinese market yet making remarks that offend the Chinese public,” while others asked what exactly he had said, given the brands have not explicitly named the controversial clip.
Neither Mbappe nor The Bridge has commented on the controversy yet. Mbappe, who made his Real Madrid debut in August 2024, has long been nicknamed “the dictator” in football circles for his influence over club and international operations, a nickname that has itself spawned countless memes.
Also Read: Ranking England’s Ballon d’Or Winners: How Does Kane Compare? | Prescott Says NFC East ‘Right in Front of Us’ as Cowboys End 2-Game Slide With 38-21 Win Over Eagles
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
