China accepts Mbappé apology after Mao joke triggers brand exodus and La Liga TV ban

China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it was taking Kylian Mbappé’s apology seriously after the Real Madrid forward’s joke about Mao Zedong on a French talk show triggered a wave of sponsor departures, a social media backlash, and the suspension of La Liga broadcasts on Chinese state television.

Mbappé, 27, made the remarks on The Bridge, a French talk show, where he described a meme depicting his face superimposed on an image resembling the late Chinese leader. “That makes me laugh the most, it’s the one where there’s a video of a guy, I think it’s a Chinese dictator…” he said, laughing at the clip. Mbappé is sometimes referred to as a “dictator” by fans in reference to his dominance of the sport.

In China, mockery of Mao Zedong is a cultural and political taboo. The backlash began on Monday night after Chinese football forum Dongqiudi highlighted the comments, describing them as “inappropriate” and saying they had “hurt the feelings of Chinese people”.

Several Chinese brands moved swiftly to distance themselves from the player. Dairy giant Mengniu and drinks company Dongpeng were among those reported to have cut commercial ties with the French international. Luxury brands associated with Mbappé also reportedly removed posts featuring him from their Weibo accounts.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reportedly stopped featuring Mbappé in its news coverage and suspended La Liga broadcasts. Mbappé’s accounts on Xiaohongshu and Weibo were restricted, despite the footballer holding more than a million followers on Xiaohongshu alone. Weibo displayed a notice stating the user had been “banned from following due to violating laws or the Weibo Community Convention”.

Mbappé featured in five of the top ten trending topics on Weibo on Tuesday, with a hashtag referencing brands terminating partnerships gaining significant traction.

The player subsequently issued a written apology. “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” he said. “I apologise to everyone my words have upset.”

La Liga also issued a statement, saying the league “deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments have caused among Chinese fans”.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun addressed the matter at a media briefing on Wednesday: “We take seriously the apology the individual concerned has made.”