From Zidane to Zedong: Mbappé says sorry for comments about former Chinese leader

Just over a month after new head coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed him as captain and the driving force of the France team, Kylian Mbappé found himself on the back foot, apologising for comments about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong that cost him several sponsorship deals in China.

Issued on: 27/10/2026 - 15:41

“I apologise to everyone who was hurt by my words," said the 27-year-old Real Madrid star in a statement on Tuesday that was written in French, English and Mandarin and sent to the French news agency AFP.

"That was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry," Mbappé added.

After making his professional debut for Monaco in 2015 as a 16-year-old, Mbappé moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

During his seven years at the club before his move to Madrid, Mbappé's goals helped PSG win 15 trophies and he also became known for his influence in the dressing room.

Soccer fans online jokingly call the star a dictator, and memes showing him as  autocratic leaders are widely circulated. 

Video goes viral

The row erupted after a video went viral in which Mbappé discusses the memes made about him.

He said the funniest one he had seen was a video showing an altered image depicting his face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong. "I think he was a Chinese dictator,” said Mbappé.

Three companies that used Mbappé's name and image - beverage company Dongpeng, dairy products giant Mengniu and cheese manufacturer Milkground - announced that they were ending their partnerships with Mbappé with immediate effect.

“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” said Dongpeng.

PSG want €180m from Mbappé after striker hits club with €240m contract claim

“During a recent interview, I reacted to an image depicting me," said Mbappé. "My remark was clumsy, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and within the Chinese community around the world.”

Guo Jiakun, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said: "Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”

Social media fallout

Social media platform RedNote joined the criticism. It said in a separate statement that the company had a content partnership with Mbappé that ended on 31 December 2024, and that it would remove related promotional materials.  Mbappé's account on RedNote was not accepting new followers on Tuesday.

Elsewhere on social media, there were several comments hitting out at Mbappé.

The hashtags “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” topped Weibo’s trending list.

“Football fans boycott Mbappé” was also trending, with some users expressing anger at his remarks or telling him not to come to China.

Dongqiudi, one of China’s biggest online football outlets, said in a statement on Tuesday that Mbappé’s remarks were “offensive to China and the Chinese people” and “have hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans and the Chinese people”.

Spanish response to comments

Spanish football chiefs moved quickly on Tuesday to distance themselves from Mbappé.

"La Liga expresses its deep regret over the offence caused among Chinese supporters by Kylian Mbappé's recent comments,” said a statement. “We apologise on behalf of La Liga and all its clubs."

But the move failed to quell the fury. China Media Group, which runs the state TV channel CCTV, said it was suspending broadcast of La Liga matches as well as all fixtures and adverts involving Mbappé.

(With newswires)

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app