Mao meme triggers the abrupt breakup of Mbappé's sponsors

Kylian Mbappé, the star striker of Real Madrid, sparked a wave of reactions in China after mentioning, during his teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni's podcast, a montage superimposing him onto Mao Zedong. The joke led several Chinese partners to terminate their ambassador contracts as early as the next morning.

As a guest on Aurélien Tchouaméni's podcast, the Bondy native commented on the Internet memes that make him laugh the most, noting that he often shares these videos with his online friends during video game sessions.

“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 on it. I use it a lot with my friends online, in video games,” Mbappé said, smiling.

In China, historical figures, especially the founder of the People's Republic in 1949, enjoy strict institutional respect; labeling Mao in such a way is considered a serious offense that offends national sentiment.

Termination of Partnerships in China

The energy drink manufacturer Eastroc Beverage (Dongpeng) announced, as early as the next morning, the immediate end of its collaboration with the footballer, stating: “We firmly oppose any behavior that offends national sentiment and we adopt a zero‑tolerance policy in this regard. We are terminating, with immediate effect, all collaboration with Kylian Mbappé.”

Mbappé apologizes after two Chinese sponsors end deal

The shock quickly spread to the food‑processing industry: the dairy giant Mengniu Dairy as well as the cheese brand Milkground also put a definitive end to their ambassador contracts with the player.

Digital Exclusion and Reactions

Beyond the financial impact, Mbappé's image suffered a massive blow; several major platforms have removed from their catalogs the videos of his sporting exploits and interviews.

The sports media outlet Dongqiudi strongly condemned the remarks deemed offensive, while on the social network Weibo the case quickly became one of the most discussed topics.

Mao Zedong triggers the storm, Kylian Mbappé breaks the silence

Many internet users have called for financial penalties and legal action, threatening to boycott any brands that continue to be associated with the French striker.