Chinese Brands Drop Mbappe After Apparent Mao Video Remark

Updated 12:22 UTC

Kylian Mbappe apologized on Tuesday for the comment in the circulated video. In a statement reported by the Associated Press, he said: "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologize 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." Get French Football News reported that the apology was shared on X in English, Mandarin and French, and that La Liga had earlier said it deeply regretted the offence caused among Chinese fans and that the comments were made in a personal capacity and did not represent La Liga.

Three Chinese companies ended their agreements with Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after a video circulated online in which the Real Madrid and France forward apparently described a meme of his face placed on an image of Mao Zedong. The Associated Press reported that beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced in similarly worded statements that they were cutting ties with immediate effect. Each company said it opposed words and actions that hurt national sentiment. AFP reported the same decisions by Dongpeng and Mengniu. The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by AFP Fact Check, so the remark attributed to Mbappe in the clip is reported here as apparent, not as verified.

Dongpeng, a Chinese drinks company, moved first in the public statements carried by AFP. "Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments. With immediate effect we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe," the company said. Mengniu, China's largest dairy producer, used similar language. "With immediate effect our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe. Mengniu firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," the company said.

What the circulated video appears to show

AFP reported that Mbappe apparently said the funniest internet meme he had seen was of his face photoshopped onto that of "some guy, I think he's a Chinese dictator". The report described that as an apparent reference to a meme that placed Mbappe's face on an image of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of China, who died in 1976. The Associated Press reported that the clip appeared to show Mbappe being interviewed ahead of an appearance on the French online talk show The Bridge, and that the video then showed an altered image with Mbappe's face on the blue-suited body of Mao.

The Associated Press said it was immediately unable to reach Mbappe's representatives for comment. No response from Mbappe or his representatives was reported by either agency in the reports published on Tuesday.

Reaction in China

"Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappe" was the top trending topic on Weibo, the Chinese social media site, AFP reported. Dongqiudi, one of China's biggest online football outlets, said in a statement on Monday evening that Mbappe's remarks were offensive to China and the Chinese people. AFP noted that jokes about Mao Zedong are considered disrespectful in China and remain a social taboo.

The commercial reach at stake was visible during this year's World Cup, when adverts showing AI-generated images of the 27-year-old France captain drinking a Dongpeng sports drink were regularly shown in China, AFP reported. In a separate statement, the social media platform RedNote said it had held a content partnership with Mbappe that ended on December 31, 2024, and that it would remove related promotional materials, the Associated Press reported.

The announcements came one day after Mbappe lost out to Harry Kane for the Ballon d'Or on Monday, October 26, 2026. For now, the verified facts are the company statements themselves: at least three Chinese brands have ended their agreements, the video that prompted them has not been immediately verified by AFP Fact Check, and Mbappe's representatives had not commented in the agency reports.