Mbappe apologises after comment referring to Mao as a dictator, faces brand fallout

Kylian Mbappe said his comment was "ill-judged" and expressed regret for hurting people in China and Chinese communities worldwide. He added, "I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry."

The China Football Association announced it had lodged a stern protest with Real Madrid and demanded a public and formal apology from both the player and the club, stating it opposes any remarks that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. China Media Group also suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches featuring Mbappe and removed his advertisements, calling for an apology.

Spanish league president Javier Tebas said he met with China’s ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, to discuss the incident and reaffirmed La Liga’s commitment to its strategic partnership with China through 2029. > "Our commitment is to keep working together so that an individual episode does not harm the important advances achieved nor affect the millions of Chinese fans who follow our competitions. China is and will continue to be a strategic partner for La Liga," Tebas wrote on X.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned that words and actions hurting Chinese sentiment would meet joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society. Several Chinese brands, including Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground, announced the termination of their agreements with Mbappe, citing opposition to any conduct that harms national sentiment.

The controversy follows a pattern of economic pressure applied by China in disputes involving foreign individuals over politically sensitive topics, such as the 2019 suspension of NBA broadcasts after a tweet supporting Hong Kong protesters.