Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe faces a sponsorship backlash in China.
Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground cut ties with the France captain after an unverified video sparked anger over apparent remarks about Mao Zedong.
Mbappe loses sponsors in China after a circulating video appeared to show him joking about Mao Zedong. Beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheesemaker Milkground have ended their partnerships with the Real Madrid forward.
However, the video’s authenticity remains unverified. It appears to show the France captain discussing a meme that placed his face onto a historical figure.
In the clip, Mbappe apparently describes the figure as someone he believes was a Chinese dictator. The apparent reference to Mao, China’s founding leader, has prompted anger among Chinese fans and companies.
Mbappe loses sponsors amid online backlash
Dongpeng announced that it would end all cooperation with Mbappe. In its statement, the company said it would not tolerate conduct that offended national feelings.
The company had run World Cup advertisements featuring AI-generated images of Mbappe drinking its sports beverage. Meanwhile, Mengniu and Milkground also announced that they were cutting ties with him.
The backlash spread quickly on Weibo, where a topic about Dongpeng ending its partnership attracted 430 million views. It became the platform’s leading trending topic, while some users demanded his removal from drink bottles.
That reaction contrasts with Mbappe’s previous popularity in China, where he has millions of social media followers. Fans affectionately call him Guigui, meaning Turtle, because of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meme.
Foreign ministry responds to controversy
China’s foreign ministry also addressed the controversy during a regular briefing on Tuesday. Spokesman Guo Jiakun said the ministry knew of the reports.
He said Chinese society would reject words and actions that hurt the Chinese people’s feelings. Jokes about Mao, who died in 1976, remain taboo in China.
However, historians also blame Mao’s drastic policies for mass starvation and millions of deaths.
Earlier comments addressed dictator memes
In a September interview, the 27-year-old discussed another meme portraying him as a military dictator. He acknowledged its humorous element but also noted the harm such figures had caused throughout history.
Meanwhile, Beijing-based sports consultant Adam Zhang urged Mbappe’s team to respond quickly to the growing controversy. Zhang, founder of Key-Solution Sports Consulting, said a prompt and sincere statement would be important.
