Mbappé boycotted in China: jersey removed and Real Madrid sanctioned

Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid are facing the first concrete sanctions in China following the controversy triggered by the French striker’s remarks calling Mao Zedong a « dictator » in a sequence posted on social media. The Real Madrid-Santander match this weekend has been removed from the Migu platform, which has 400 million subscribers, and Mbappé has been completely removed from EA Sports FC in the country.

Anger has not subsided despite apologies presented by the player through a personal statement, then by the club. Chinese criticism focuses notably on the length of Real Madrid’s response time, deemed too slow. A famous Chinese commentator estimated that Mbappé, « a victim of racial discrimination, should understand the importance of respect ». Several local media outlets have also compared this handling to the Vinicius-Prestianni affair, in which the Merengues had reacted immediately and vigorously to defend the Brazilian striker.

The commercial stakes are considerable. According to Marca, between 10 and 15% of Real Madrid’s international merchandise sales come from China, with Mbappé’s jersey being the flagship product. The club has nearly 97 million supporters there, making it their leading market outside Spain.

What adds to the strangeness of the situation is the timing: the incriminating remarks date back several months, but the controversy only erupted this week, with no clear explanation for what triggered their sudden resurgence.