Chinese Brands Drop Mbappe After Remark Appearing to Call Mao a Dictator

At least three Chinese companies have cut ties with French soccer star Kylian Mbappe after comments in which he appeared to refer to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator. Mbappe, the captain of France's national team, has had his face featured in advertisements across China, from subway stations to elevators.

Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced on Tuesday that they were ending their agreements with the player. Their statements were similarly worded, and each said the company opposes "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment."

The companies did not say what prompted their decisions. However, the announcements followed the circulation on X of a clip that appeared to show Mbappe being interviewed before an appearance on the French online talk show "The Bridge."

In the video, Mbappe is asked about his favorite meme of himself. He answers that it was "a video someone made of a guy .. I think he was a Chinese dictator." The clip then shows an altered image placing Mbappe's face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.

Soccer fans online often joke that the player, who is said to overshadow many of his teammates and even the teams he plays on, is a dictator. Memes depicting him as Mao or other autocratic leaders circulate widely. The Associated Press said it could not immediately reach Mbappe's representatives for comment.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs weighed in as well. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun, responding to a question about the controversy, said that "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 platform RedNote also joined the criticism. In a separate statement, it said its content partnership with Mbappe ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would "remove related promotional materials." The company likewise voiced opposition to "any conduct that hurts national sentiment." Mbappe's RedNote account was barred from accepting new followers on Tuesday.

Mbappe has appeared in advertising campaigns in China for products ranging from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one Dongpeng commercial he delivers a slogan in Chinese, and in a Mengniu ad he appears alongside Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.

Reaction on Chinese social media was already critical. The hashtags "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappe" and "Several brands end partnerships with Mbappe" topped Weibo's trending list. Another, "Football fans boycott Mbappe," was also trending, with some users expressing anger over his remarks or telling him not to come to China.