Several Chinese brands dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé as online backlash grew over alleged comments about Mao Zedong.
Two brands issued statements after the video circulated
On Tuesday, two major Chinese brands dropped Mbappé after a video circulated online in which he apparently joked about Mao Zedong. The broader backlash also led several Chinese brands to end ties with the French footballer. The video, as described, connected Mbappé to a joke about China’s former leader; the brands’ response turned that online criticism into a commercial consequence for him.¹²
Mengniu, described as China’s largest dairy producer, said it “firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”. Drinks company Dongpeng said it “firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments”. Both statements set out the companies’ opposition in terms of hurt feelings and national sentiment, rather than addressing the meme’s wording in detail.¹²
A reported meme remark drew official and public criticism
Mbappé reportedly told the French talk show The Bridge that his “favourite meme” was “the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator”. The reported remark is the point of reference in the backlash: it describes an image that puts his face on a dictator, without naming Mao in the quoted line. The controversy arose because the video was understood online as a joke about Mao Zedong.¹²
Mengniu, described as China’s largest dairy producer, said it “firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”.
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Read More →Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments on Monday night. In a statement, it called them “inappropriate” and said they “hurt the feelings of Chinese people”. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people would naturally meet opposition from all sectors of Chinese society. The forum’s criticism and the spokesperson’s response both focused on the effect of the remarks on Chinese people.¹²
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV is suspending La Liga matches, according to The Paper. The suspension concerns Spanish league broadcasts, adding a broadcast consequence to the brand decisions and public criticism. The available detail identifies CCTV and La Liga, but does not state how long the suspension lasts or give a date for its start. It also does not specify whether the decision was directly linked to the Mbappé video.¹²
The joke refers to a leader with a devastating historical legacy
Mao founded Communist China in 1949. His attempt at rapid industrialisation, called the Great Leap Forward, led to a famine that killed tens of millions. Mao died in 1976, and his death brought a new era for China, which began to open its doors to the global economy. These points outline the historical reference at the centre of the controversy: Mao’s founding role, the famine and the transition after his death.²
Mbappé has been linked to dictator memes before
Mbappé made his Real Madrid debut in August 2024. In football, he has been nicknamed “the dictator” because of his influence and control over club and international football operations. During the 2026 World Cup, France team-mate Ousmane Dembele called him “Mobutu”, a reference to Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, for three decades. Those examples show the meme has also drawn on comparisons with other dictators.²
In an interview with France Football in September, Mbappé acknowledged the light-heartedness behind many of the memes but said they “sometimes reveals a lack of political and human awareness among people”. The comment offers his own stated view of the humour: he recognised that some memes were meant lightly while also criticising what they could show about people’s awareness. His remark did not identify the specific video that later circulated online.¹²
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Read More →In 2024, Mbappé sued a French influencer and kebab shop owner over the use of his name in the description of one of the shop’s sandwiches. The dispute concerned his name appearing in a product description, rather than a political meme. Separately, in 2019, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet supporting Hong Kong protests. China responded by suspending sponsorship deals with the NBA and pulling games off Chinese television for a year.¹²
The joke refers to a leader with a devastating historical legacy Mao founded Communist China in 1949.
Weigh cross-border brand risk
One public joke can end commercial ties in a market within days. If your work involves a global audience, treat national sentiment as a real business factor. A lighthearted comment about a historical leader triggered two major brands to drop a footballer immediately, and a state broadcaster suspended league matches. For a reader, this means any public-facing role carries a risk that a single remark can cancel sponsorships or broadcast deals. Plan for that by knowing which topics carry deep sensitivities before you speak or post.¹²
The past shows these consequences repeat. A sports executive's tweet about Hong Kong led to a year of suspended NBA deals and off-air games in China. That pattern means the risk is not a one-off. For your own career, build cultural and political awareness as a practical skill, not an extra. When negotiating a contract or choosing a role, ask how your public statements might be received across borders. A role that puts you in front of international audiences demands a higher standard of care in what you say.¹²
Sources
Written by Career Ahead AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify key facts. Report errors to support@careeraheadonline.com
