Three Chinese brands drop Mbappé after he calls Mao Zedong a dictator in interview clip

Three Chinese companies severed their sponsorship agreements with Kylian Mbappé on Tuesday after a clip surfaced online appearing to show the French forward describing Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator. Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese brand Milkground each announced the terminations, with social media platform RedNote also confirming it would remove promotional materials tied to a partnership that had already expired on 31 December 2024.

The controversy stems from a video that circulated on X, apparently filmed ahead of Mbappé’s appearance on the French online talk show The Bridge. In the clip, Mbappé is asked about his favourite meme of himself. He replies that it was “a video someone made of a guy… I think he was a Chinese dictator,” at which point the footage cuts to an altered image placing Mbappé’s face on the blue-suited figure of Mao Zedong.

All three companies issued near-identical statements saying they oppose “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.” None specified the clip directly as the reason for their decisions.

Mbappé had built a significant commercial presence in China, with his face appearing in advertisements across subway stations and elevators nationwide. His campaigns spanned electrolyte drinks, milk and cheese — including a Mengniu ad alongside Lionel Messi — and a Dongpeng commercial in which he delivered a slogan in Mandarin.

The meme Mbappé referenced is well-known among football supporters online, who joke that the star “dictates” matches and overshadows teammates, with images depicting him as Mao or other authoritarian figures widely shared in fan communities.

Reaction on Chinese social media was swift. The hashtags “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” topped Weibo’s trending list, while “Football fans boycott Mbappé” also trended, with users expressing anger at his remarks. Representatives for Mbappé had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.