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Geopolitics · Asia Pacific

Mbappé apologises to Chinese fans over Mao meme remarks

Kylian Mbappé apologised for comments about Mao Zedong after Chinese football forum Dongqiudi criticised the remarks and several Chinese brands reportedly ended partnerships with him. La Liga also apologised to Chinese fans, while some social media users called for a boycott of Mbappé and Real Madrid.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 4 independent reports from 5 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 4 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 7 entries
5 outlets4 regionsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Center OnlyL 0 · C 4 · R 0 · 1 unrated
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Photo: Supporterhéninois / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

What happened

Key facts

  • Mbappé described his comment as “ill-judged”; he said it hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world (per thewhistler.ng, The Times of India, Yahoo).
  • Several Chinese brands reportedly ended their partnerships with Mbappé after the comments (per thewhistler.ng, The Times of India).
  • La Liga apologised to Chinese fans for the offence caused by Mbappé’s comments (per thewhistler.ng).
  • Dongqiudi drew attention to the remarks on Monday night, described them as inappropriate and said they hurt Chinese people’s feelings (per thewhistler.ng).
  • Dongqiudi said it could not translate Mbappé’s comments because they were offensive to China and Chinese people (per thewhistler.ng).
  • In online clips, Mbappé does not name Mao but says he uses the meme with friends (per thewhistler.ng, The Times of India, Yahoo).
  • Screenshots circulated on Chinese social media, where some users called for a boycott of Mbappé and Real Madrid (per thewhistler.ng).

The brief

Kylian Mbappé apologised for comments about Mao Zedong after Chinese football forum Dongqiudi brought the remarks to wider attention and several Chinese brands reportedly ended their partnerships with the Real Madrid forward.

The apology addressed criticism in China over remarks connected to a Mao meme. “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement, according to The Whistler. The outlet reported that he referred to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong in apologising.

In clips circulating online, however, Mbappé does not name Mao; he says he uses the meme with friends. Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments on Monday night, describing them as inappropriate and saying they hurt Chinese people’s feelings. The forum said it could not translate the remarks because they were offensive to China and Chinese people.

The Whistler reports these as Dongqiudi’s characterisations, rather than as a translation of Mbappé’s words. The Whistler also reported that several Chinese brands reportedly ended their partnerships with Mbappé after the comments. The report does not identify those brands or specify how many partnerships ended.

The Times of India’s headline likewise refers to sponsor exits, while the other headlines describe an apology following backlash over the Mao remark. La Liga apologised to Chinese fans for the offence caused by Mbappé’s comments, The Whistler reported. Separately, screenshots circulated on Chinese social media, where some users called for a boycott of Mbappé and Real Madrid.

The report describes those calls but does not say whether a boycott occurred. The controversy also drew considerable attention on Weibo. By 14:00 local time on Tuesday, five of the platform’s 10 most-discussed topics centred on Mbappé, and the leading hashtag concerned brands ending partnerships with him.

The Whistler said the original video was no longer available on The Bridge’s YouTube channel and that the interview’s initial broadcast date was unclear. In the same account, Jian said words and actions that hurt Chinese people’s feelings would meet opposition across Chinese society. The Whistler did not provide further identifying details about Jian.

The reported sequence therefore includes Mbappé’s apology, the brands’ reported partnership decisions, La Liga’s apology and online calls for a boycott, without establishing whether the boycott took place.

Why it matters

  • Mbappé said his comment hurt people in China and Chinese communities worldwide, and La Liga apologised to Chinese fans.
  • Several Chinese brands reportedly ended partnerships with Mbappé, creating a documented commercial consequence; the report does not name the brands or count the partnerships.
  • Calls by some social media users to boycott Mbappé and Real Madrid were reported, while the account does not say whether a boycott occurred.

What to watch next

  • Whether any Chinese brands publicly identify themselves or specify partnership decisions involving Mbappé.
  • Whether La Liga or Mbappé makes further public statements to Chinese fans.
  • Whether calls to boycott Mbappé and Real Madrid on Chinese social media lead to reported action.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets · 4 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Center Only· 4 Center · 1 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Asia 40% · US/Canada 20% · Other 40%
Outlet political mix
Center Only
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
4 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (4 of 4 rated sources); comparatively few Left or Right-rated outlets have published on the event.
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The People's Republic of China was established under Mao Zedong's leadership.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. The Chinese Communist Party adopted a resolution assessing Mao's role and identifying serious errors in his later years.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. Mao’s portrait has occupied Tiananmen Gate in Beijing since the early years of the People’s Republic, and his image appears on China’s currency, including the renminbi issued from 1999.
    Background · from our historical context
  4. La Liga opened an office in Beijing in 2014, reflecting the league’s effort to develop its presence in China.
    Background · from our historical context
  5. In 2015, it signed a five-year Chinese broadcast-rights agreement with PPTV, bringing Spanish football to a large online audience in the country.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. Real Madrid had built a substantial Chinese fan base before his arrival: the club toured China in 2015, as part of its efforts to reach supporters in Asia.
    Background · from our historical context
  7. Kylian Mbappé joined Real Madrid.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Kylian Mbappé’s profile among Chinese football audiences grew through his performances at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, and his move to Real Madrid in 2024 connected that following to one of the world’s best-known clubs.

Real Madrid had built a substantial Chinese fan base before his arrival: the club toured China in 2015, as part of its efforts to reach supporters in Asia. La Liga opened an office in Beijing in 2014, reflecting the league’s effort to develop its presence in China.

Original sources

5 articles from 5 outlets

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