Kylian Mbappé's joke blows up his contracts in China
Guest on his teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni's podcast, Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé mentioned a montage placing him on the body of Mao Zedong, triggering a wave of online reactions and the immediate termination of several Chinese partnerships.
Kylian Mbappé is used to controversies, but he did not expect a simple joke to spark a media storm. His status as an international star does not shield him from unexpected consequences.
During the show, the Frenchman explained which Internet memes make him laugh the most. He also shared his view on the viral content circulating among fans.
The most striking montage, according to him, overlays his face onto that of the founder of the People's Republic, Mao Zedong, all with a smile on his lips. This image quickly spread on social media.
He said :
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The one that made me laugh the most was when they put a video of a guy, a Chinese dictator I think, with my head. I use it a lot with my friends online, in video games.
He admitted not knowing the historical context of the figure.
In China, historical figures like Mao enjoy strict institutional respect; depicting them in a subversive way is considered a serious offense. The reaction of the Chinese public therefore came very quickly.
Termination of Chinese partnerships
Energy drink manufacturer Eastroc Beverage announced the immediate end of its collaboration with Mbappé, stating “we firmly oppose any behavior that offends national sentiment”. The statement was released the next morning.
Mao Zedong triggers the storm, Kylian Mbappé breaks the silence
Dairy giant Mengniu Dairy and cheese brand Milkground followed suit, ending their ambassador contracts permanently. These terminations illustrate the scale of the commercial boycott.
On the Weibo network, the topic quickly became one of the most commented, and several platforms removed the player’s videos. Sports media Dongqiudi condemned the remarks, while netizens are calling for financial penalties and threatening to boycott the brands still associated.