The controversy has also drawn a response from La Liga and sparked widespread debate on Chinese social media. State-run digital newspaper The Paper reported that public television was suspending broadcasts of La Liga matches.
In the viral video, Mbappé was asked about the funniest internet meme he had seen featuring himself. He described an image in which his face had been superimposed on that of “some guy – I think he’s a Chinese dictator”.
The remark appeared to refer to a meme depicting the France captain’s face edited onto an image of Mao, the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China.
In a statement issued in French, Chinese and English, Mbappé acknowledged that his comments had offended people in China and Chinese communities around the world.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” he said.
La Liga also apologised for the offence caused to Chinese fans, stressing that Mbappé had made the remarks in his personal capacity and that they did not reflect the league’s position.
Mao, who died in 1976, remains a sensitive political figure in China. Historians have linked some of his policies to mass starvation and millions of deaths.
Among the companies that have severed ties with Mbappé is Chinese beverage producer Dongpeng, which announced the termination of all cooperation with the footballer. The company had previously used AI-generated images of him drinking its sports beverage in advertisements during this year’s World Cup.
“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” Dongpeng said.
Dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground also announced that they were ending their partnerships with the Real Madrid forward.
Mbappé enjoys a substantial following in China, where he has millions of social media followers. The phrase “Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappé” became the top-trending topic on Weibo, attracting 430 million views.
While some users condemned the remarks as crossing a “red line”, others urged Dongpeng to remove the footballer’s image from its product bottles. Dongqiudi, one of China’s largest online football platforms, also described the comments as offensive to China and its people.
The incident follows a separate discussion about a meme portraying Mbappé as a military dictator. In an interview with French sports newspaper L’Équipe last month, the footballer said part of the meme was funny but added that another aspect was less amusing because of the suffering caused by such figures throughout history.
China’s Foreign Ministry also acknowledged the reports surrounding the controversy. Speaking at a regular briefing, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said: “Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with unanimous rejection from all sectors of Chinese society.”
The controversy comes as Mbappé finished runner-up to Harry Kane in Monday’s men’s Ballon d’Or award.
