Mbappe loses Chinese sponsorships after remarks about Mao
French footballer Kylian Mbappe was dropped by two major Chinese brands after a video showed him referring to Mao Zedong as a "Chinese dictator," prompting the companies to terminate their contracts.
French striker Kylian Mbappe has been stripped of sponsorship deals with two Chinese companies following a video in which he described former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a "Chinese dictator." Dongpeng Beverage, which had featured AI-generated images of Mbappe drinking its sports drink during the FIFA World Cup, said it was ending cooperation with the player immediately, adding that it has a zero-tolerance policy toward behaviour that offends national sentiments. Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, issued a similar statement, terminating its partnership with Mbappe and emphasizing its opposition to any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
The controversy erupted after the video circulated online, showing Mbappe calling a meme that placed his face on an image of Mao the "funniest internet meme" he had seen. Chinese social media users condemned the remarks as crossing a red line and called for the removal of Mbappe’s image from product packaging. Dongqiudi, a leading football outlet, described the comments as offensive to China and its people.
Mbappe previously addressed a different meme that likened him to a military dictator, acknowledging that while some jokes are harmless, others can be painful given historical atrocities. The incident follows his recent loss to Harry Kane for the Ballon d’Or and adds to a pattern of international athletes facing sponsor withdrawals after comments on sensitive political topics in China.