Despite his apologies, Mbappé faces a wave of criticism in China

Kylian Mbappé offered an apology on Tuesday after mentioning Mao Zedong in the podcast The Bridge, but Chinese social media remain hostile on Wednesday. Under strict monitoring, the Real Madrid star sees his accounts blocked and several Chinese brands ending their collaboration.

In the podcast, the France captain described the funniest meme as pairing his face with that of a “Chinese dictator”, referring to edits where his image appears on photos of Mao Zedong. He acknowledged that the joke was a gag that escalated into a diplomatic incident. This comment sparked a wave of negative reactions on local platforms.

Brand reactions and censorship

Three major Chinese companies announced on Tuesday the termination of their cooperation with the footballer, including Dior and Hublot, which removed all content about him from their Weibo accounts. In Adidas’s flagship store in Beijing, no Real Madrid jersey bears Mbappé’s name, although official products remain on sale. Moreover, it is now impossible to follow the star’s accounts on Weibo and Xiaohongshu, where he had amassed more than two million followers.

“His remarks were hurtful to China and the Chinese people, so they cannot be translated,” wrote a user on Weibo, illustrating the virulence of the criticism that continues to pour in.

Mao Zedong triggers the storm, Kylian Mbappé breaks the silence

Media impact and popularity

State television suspended the broadcast of the Spanish league, and official media omitted any reference to Mao, describing Mbappé’s statements as “inappropriate remarks concerning China”. Despite these sanctions, the footballer remains very popular in China, where he is affectionately nicknamed “Guigui” because of a meme linked to the Ninja Turtles. Before him, other top athletes faced strong reactions for comments about President Xi Jinping, Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Mbappé acknowledged that the edits depicting him with historical figures are “a part that is funny” but also “a part that’s a bit less funny”, highlighting the discomfort his association with authoritarian characters generates.

Kylian Mbappé faces the breakup of partnerships in China

Outside the official networks, unauthorized merchandise remains available on the Taobao app, where supporters can still purchase items bearing the French captain’s likeness.