Mbappe apologises to Chinese people over comments on ‘Chinese dictator’

• Mbappe apologised after his comment about a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong offended people in China and Chinese communities worldwide.

• Chinese companies Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground announced they were ending their commercial partnerships with the French forward.

• The Real Madrid star said he had deep respect for Chinese people and their history and expressed regret over his remarks.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has apologised to Chinese people after his comments about a viral internet meme depicting him as former Chinese leader Mao Zedong sparked criticism and led to Chinese companies ending their commercial partnerships with him.

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The France international issued an apology on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, acknowledging that his remarks had offended people in China and Chinese communities around the world.

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The apology followed a backlash over a video circulating online that appeared to show Mbappe referring to Mao, the founder of the People’s Republic of China, as a dictator.

Mbappe was asked about his favourite internet meme featuring himself. He reportedly responded that it was a video showing his face edited onto the image of “some guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator”, According to the Associated Press.

The controversy has affected Mbappe’s commercial relationships in China.

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According to AP, beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced that they were ending their partnerships with the footballer.

The Chinese social media platform RedNote also announced that it would remove promotional materials featuring Mbappe. His account on the platform was barred from gaining new followers, AP reported.