Kylian Mbappe said in an interview that his favorite meme is one that puts his face on an image of Mao Zedong, drawing backlash in China. On the 27th he issued an apology in French, simplified Chinese and English, and Chinese state media said it would watch his actions, not just his words.
According to UDN, the Real Madrid and France star said in an interview that his favorite internet meme of himself is one with his face swapped onto a parody image of Mao Zedong. He called Mao a dictator and said he often sent the image to friends while gaming online. The remarks surfaced on the 26th, and Chinese netizens and some media criticized them as insulting to China.
광고 문의 · 300×250Chinese responses reported by UDN came quickly. China Media Group (CMG) suspended broadcasts of La Liga, of matches involving Mbappe, and of his endorsement ads from the 26th. Its head wrote to La Liga president Javier Tebas demanding a public, sincere apology from Real Madrid and Mbappe, plus a written apology. CMG said Tebas had already written to apologize.
The apology and Beijing's response
On the 27th Mbappe posted a statement in French, simplified Chinese and English on X and other platforms. UDN reported that he called his comments inappropriate, said they hurt many people in China and Chinese communities worldwide, and apologized. He said it was by no means his intention and that he holds deep respect for the Chinese people and their history.
After the apology, a CMG official said the broadcaster would listen to his words and watch his actions, and hoped La Liga, Real Madrid and Mbappe would learn from the episode. Guangming Daily's official Douyin account said insulting China's late leader would not be tolerated. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said remarks that hurt Chinese people's feelings would be shunned by Chinese society, UDN reported.
Sponsors and public reaction
Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu Dairy, which had endorsement deals with Mbappe, said they were ending all cooperation and had zero tolerance for words or actions that hurt Chinese people's feelings. UDN said promotions by past partners such as Miaokelando and Xiaohongshu were also taken down. Chinese media estimated losses could exceed US$100 million if he lost long-term business in China, though no basis was disclosed.
After the statement, the topic Mbappe apology reached No. 1 on Weibo. Many users said they would not accept it, and some sarcastically said he feared losing money rather than regretting the mistake. Whether the matter ends here depends on developments such as resumption of Chinese broadcasts, which has not been confirmed.