Beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced on Tuesday, October 27, that they were ending their agreements with the Real Madrid forward. Their statements said they opposed words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
The controversy followed the circulation of a video from an online interview in which Mbappé discussed his favourite meme. He appeared to describe an image of his face edited onto the body of a person he believed was a Chinese dictator. The image was understood to refer to Mao, who led the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s revolutionary government.
The clip triggered criticism on Chinese social media, where calls to boycott the footballer and brands associated with him gained traction. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said comments that hurt the feelings of Chinese people would face opposition from society.
Social media platform RedNote also said it was removing related promotional material, while clarifying that its content partnership with Mbappé had ended in December 2024.
The video’s authenticity had not been independently verified by AFP Fact Check at the time of its report. Mbappé’s representatives were not immediately available for comment, according to the Associated Press.
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At least three Chinese companies have ended commercial partnerships with French football star Kylian Mbappé following backlash over a video in which he appeared to refer to a meme depicting him as former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Several Chinese companies have ended commercial partnerships with French football star Kylian Mbappé following a backlash over comments he made about...
Key takeaways
- At least three Chinese companies have ended commercial partnerships with French football star Kylian Mbappé following backlash over a video in which he appeared to refer to a meme depicting him as former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
- Several Chinese companies have ended commercial partnerships with French football star Kylian Mbappé following a backlash over comments he made about an internet meme depicting him as former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.Beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced on Tuesday, October 27, that they were ending their agreements with the Real Madrid forward.
- Their statements said they opposed words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.The controversy followed the circulation of a video from an online interview in which Mbappé discussed his favourite meme.
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At least three Chinese companies have ended commercial partnerships with French football star Kylian Mbappé following backlash over a video in which he appeared to refer to a meme depicting him as former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Several Chinese companies have ended commercial partnerships with French football star Kylian Mbappé following a backlash over comments he made about...
Who published this story?
Glow 99.1 FM published this story with GlowRy Atuah listed as author.
When was it published?
October 27, 2026
