Mao Zedong affair: Mbappé targeted by a major commercial boycott in China

According to information published by Forbes magazine, the star striker for Real Madrid and the French national team is facing a strong backlash in China. For referring to Mao Zedong as a "Chinese dictator" while commenting on an internet meme, the player has lost several major sponsorship deals, while broadcasts of the Spanish league have been suspended by Chinese state television.

The controversy stemmed from a clip on the sports program The Bridge . When asked about the funniest meme about him, Kylian Mbappé described an image of his face superimposed on "a guy, I think he's a Chinese dictator." Although the 27-year-old striker didn't explicitly name Mao Zedong, the video clip showed his face superimposed on a portrait of the founding father of the People's Republic of China.

The episode immediately sparked outrage on Chinese social media, prompting the show to remove the segment, although multiple copies continue to circulate online.

An immediate commercial response

According to information reported by Forbes , the reaction from Chinese brands was swift on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Energy drink giant Dongpeng (Eastroc) and dairy group Mengniu both announced the unilateral termination of their sponsorship contracts with the captain of the French national team.

In a statement released to the Beijing Daily , Dongpeng reaffirmed its "zero tolerance" policy toward any behavior "that offends national sentiments." The Mengniu company echoed this sentiment, declaring its firm opposition to "any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people." A third sponsor, cheese producer Milkground (Miaokelanduo), also severed its partnership with the player, according to the Associated Press.

When questioned during his daily press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun commented laconically: "Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people naturally encounter opposition from all sectors of Chinese society."

La Liga in the crosshairs of state television

The repercussions of this affair extend beyond the individual player. According to the Spanish daily El País , cited by Forbes , China Central Television (CCTV) suspended the broadcast of La Liga matches, the Spanish league in which Real Madrid plays, starting Monday evening. The impact of this decision on streaming agreements with the Migu platform remains uncertain at this time.

Ranked third among the world's highest-paid footballers in 2026 by Forbes — with annual earnings estimated at $100 million — Kylian Mbappé is seeing part of his commercial commitments in Asia collapse following this verbal indiscretion.