Real Madrid says Mbappé was wrong over Zedong

Spanish football club Real Madrid as well as Spanish league bosses were on Thursday waiting to see if their apologies had led to a thaw in relations with China following Kylian Mbappé's comments about the former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Issued on: 29/10/2026 - 11:16Modified: 29/10/2026 - 11:17

In a clip of a video interview with the French show The Bridge, Mbappé discusses the memes made about him.

The Real Madrid striker 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 on Tuesday that they were ending their partnerships with Mbappé with immediate effect.

"My remark was clumsy, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and within the Chinese community around the world," said the 27-year-old who moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid in July 2024.

"Real Madrid CF wishes to express its apologies to the Chinese people for any offence caused by the recent remarks of our player Kylian Mbappe," said a club statement on Wednesday.

"The club joins in the public apology issued by Kylian Mbappé, in which the player himself expressed his regret for his words and reiterated his respect for the Chinese people."

Spanish top-flight matches suspended

On Tuesday night, bosses at La Liga, which organises Spain's top football division, also apologised.

But despite the move, China Media Group, which oversees the state TV channel CCTV, said it was suspending broadcasts of La Liga matches as well as all fixtures and adverts involving Mbappé.

On Wednesday, CCTV said it would listen to what Mbappé had to say. "And more importantly, we will watch what he does," it added.

China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said: “We take seriously the apology the individual concerned has made.”

Internet fallout for Mbappé

On Wednesday, Mbappé's status in China continued to nosedive

Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu froze Mbappe's account, where he has more than one million followers.

The same happened on the Weibo app, with a notice stating that "the user has been banned from following due to violating laws or the Weibo Community Convention".

Mbappé, who made his professional debut as a 16-year-old at the French club Monaco in 2015, has built a diverse financial empire.

The France captain's fortune is estimated at nearly €250 million, according to several sources, including Forbes and Celebrity Net Worth.

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He has invested through his holding company in several sectors, including technology, luxury goods and sport, while leveraging his image to secure sponsorship deals around the world.

“He is one of those players who, thanks to salaries at this level, have realised that they have become economic entities in their own right, with the capacity to invest,” said sports lawyer Arnaud Péricard.

“In the past, players traditionally invested in local businesses such as restaurants and hotels, often in ventures connected to their close circle. Now, with these levels of income, they can invest in investment funds or even set up their own investment vehicles, with dedicated teams,” Péricard said.

(With newswires)

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