Why Chinese Brands Dropped Mbappé Over a Meme About Mao

Several Chinese companies ended their partnerships with soccer star Kylian Mbappé on Tuesday after a clip circulated online in which he laughed at a meme linking him to Mao Zedong, China’s founding leader. Mbappé and the Spanish league La Liga have since apologized, according to the BBC and NBC News.

What did Mbappé say?

In a clip from the French talk show “The Bridge,” Mbappé was asked about his favorite meme. He described a video of a man he thought was a Chinese dictator, and the show then cut to an image of his face superimposed on a picture resembling Mao. He did not name Mao himself. The BBC reported that it is unclear when the interview first aired, and the original video is not on the show’s YouTube channel.

The joke plays on a running online gag that calls Mbappé a dictator because of his influence in the game. Al Jazeera reported that in September he told L’Équipe the comparisons were partly funny but also troubling given the harm such rulers caused.

Which brands cut ties?

Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu, one of China’s largest dairy producers, said they were ending cooperation with immediate effect. NBC reported that cheesemaker Milkground did the same. The statements said the companies oppose any words or actions that hurt the feelings of Chinese people, without naming the video.

NBC added that the platform Xiaohongshu said its contract with him had already ended, and that his account there, which had more than a million followers, was suspended. Dongqiudi, a popular Chinese soccer site, said it could not translate his remarks because they were offensive.

How did Chinese authorities and media react?

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said hurtful words and actions would be met with opposition from all sectors of Chinese society. The BBC and NBC name different spokespeople, so the exact speaker is unclear from the reports.

The Global Times, a state-backed tabloid, reported that events and ads involving Mbappé have been suspended from broadcast, NBC said. The BBC, citing the Global Times and Chinese media, reported that state broadcaster CCTV will stop showing La Liga matches. By Tuesday afternoon, five of the top 10 trending topics on Weibo concerned Mbappé, the BBC said.

Why is Mao such a sensitive subject?

Mao founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and led it until his death in 1976. His Great Leap Forward campaign contributed to a famine that killed tens of millions, according to the BBC and NBC, and the Cultural Revolution was a violent purge. The ruling Communist Party still treats him as a national icon, so jokes about him are seen as an affront to the party’s account of the past.

What does this mean for athletes and leagues?

China is a major market for sports stars, and homegrown brands have signed multimillion-dollar deals with players including Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Stephen Curry, the BBC reported. Mbappé was hugely popular there until this episode.

It is not the first time. NBC and Al Jazeera recalled that NBA games largely disappeared from Chinese television for years after a Houston Rockets executive backed Hong Kong protests in 2019, and that Dwight Howard drew fury in 2023 for calling Taiwan a country.

Have Mbappé and La Liga responded?

Mbappé called his comment ill-judged and said he now understands it hurt many people in China and Chinese communities worldwide. He said it was not his intention and that he respects the Chinese people and their history.

La Liga said it deeply regrets the offense to Chinese fans. President Javier Tebas said the league is working with its Chinese partners to overcome the situation, NBC reported.

Around Prague, based on reporting by BBC News, Al Jazeera, NBC News