Hong Kong — Mbappé Loses Chinese Brand Deals Over Mao Comment

Kylian Mbappé's apology Tuesday capped a day in which at least three Chinese companies severed sponsorship ties with the French soccer captain over remarks he made about Mao Zedong, according to NBC News.

What did Mbappé say about Mao Zedong?

The fallout traces to a clip, resurfaced on Chinese social media Monday, of an interview from last spring on the French talk show "The Bridge." The segment touched on memes that depict Mbappé as an authoritarian figure because of his dominance on and off the field, and the Paris Saint-Germain and France forward suggested Mao — the founding leader of communist China — was a dictator, NBC News reported. The outlet did not publish a full transcript of the remark, but the clip's circulation set off the backlash.

Which brands dropped him?

Dongpeng Beverage, an energy-drink maker; Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy, one of China's largest dairy producers; and cheesemaker Milkground each issued similarly worded statements early Tuesday announcing they were ending their relationships with Mbappé, according to NBC News. None of the companies detailed what specifically prompted the split, the outlet reported.

The social platform Xiaohongshu also distanced itself, saying its contract with Mbappé — who appeared in a 2024 ad for the platform that drew wide attention — had ended. A notice on his account, which had more than a million followers, said it was suspended "for violating community guidelines," per NBC News.

How did Mbappé and La Liga respond?

La Liga, the Spanish league in which Mbappé's club competes, apologized and distanced itself from his comments as the backlash intensified, NBC News reported. Mbappé followed with his own statement.

"To everyone my words have upset," Mbappé said, calling his "comment ... ill-judged," according to NBC News.

Why does this matter for foreign athletes in China?

The episode illustrates how quickly a global athlete's commercial standing in China can shift over remarks touching political sensitivities that, as NBC News noted, are "little understood outside China." Mbappé had been a fixture in Chinese retail and advertising — his image appeared on Dongpeng drink packaging sold in convenience stores, the outlet reported — before the companies moved within a single news cycle to cut ties.

By the Numbers

• 3 Chinese companies — Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu Dairy, and Milkground — announced they were ending sponsorship deals with Mbappé on Tuesday, per NBC News.
• 1 million+ followers were on Mbappé's Xiaohongshu account before it was suspended, according to the platform's own notice cited by NBC News.

The NBC News report did not specify whether additional brands or leagues have taken further action since the apologies, nor did it detail the exact wording of Mbappé's original Mao comment.