Videos shared on social media this Wednesday show Chinese fans burning Mbappé jerseys and destroying advertisements featuring his image, in response to comments made by the Real Madrid forward in which he referred to Mao Zedong as "a Chinese dictator."
The controversy erupted when a clip from the French footballer's interview on the online program The Bridge surfaced, in which, when asked about his favorite meme, he replied: "The one I've laughed at the most is the one where my face is used on a Chinese dictator. I use it a lot with my friends."
The viral montage overlays the face of Kylian Mbappé onto the iconic portrait of the founder of the People's Republic of China, as part of an ongoing internet joke that portrays the footballer as a "dictator" due to his influence in football.
In the images circulating on social media, a fan sets fire to the French national team's jersey featuring the number 10 of the player, announcing that he is imposing a "deep boycott" and that he "will never forgive him."
Other videos shared by EFE show advertising posters featuring the striker being trampled or destroyed. A boycott hashtag against Mbappé and Real Madrid has spread widely on Chinese platforms, with a related video exceeding 430 million views this Wednesday.
The institutional and commercial consequences soon followed.
State television CCTV suspended the broadcasts of LaLiga since the night of October 26 and removed advertisements linked to the player.
Three Chinese companies—Dongpeng, Mengniu, and Milkground—terminated their contracts with him, citing "zero tolerance for behavior that offends national sentiments." The sports portal Dongqiudi even replaced his name in the ranking for the 2026 Ballon d'Or with the equivalent expression of "such a person does not exist."
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that “words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will be rejected by all sectors of society.”
In light of the magnitude of the scandal, Mbappé published a statement on Tuesday in French, Chinese, and English, referring to his words as a "slip": "I understand today that I have hurt many people in China and within the Chinese community around the world. I apologize to all those who were offended by my words. It was never my intention."
Real Madrid issued an official statement on Wednesday expressing "deep respect for China, its history, its culture, and its citizens."
LaLiga, for its part, clarified that the comments "were made in a personal capacity and do not represent LaLiga" and announced a "sensitivity and communication protocol" to promote cultural respect. Its president, Javier Tebas, even published a personal message in Chinese on the social network X.
The economic background explains the swift institutional apologies: China Mobile Migu signed in August 2026 an agreement as the exclusive digital partner of LaLiga in mainland China through the 2029/30 season, with a potential estimated value of up to 400 million euros.
Mao Zedong, whom international historiography holds responsible for between 40 and 70 million deaths during peacetime—mainly during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution—remains a figure protected by the Chinese state.
Satires about former leaders affiliated with the Communist Party are prosecuted under the charge of "defamation of heroes and martyrs." China confirmed this Wednesday that it will not resume broadcasting LaLiga and deemed the apologies from the Madrid club insufficient.
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