Kylian Mbappé had a rough night on Monday. After watching the 2026 Ballon d’Or slip away from him, the French striker learned that two major Chinese companies, the beverage giant Dongpeng and the dairy industry giant Mengniu, have decided to terminate their collaboration with him. This comes notably after a video in which the player appears to label Mao Zedong a “dictator.”
In this sequence, which within a few hours became the most discussed on the social network Weibo with 430 million views, Mbappé indicated that the funniest internet meme he has seen is a photo montage of his face superimposed onto that of a “Chinese dictator,” apparently referring to the former historic leader of China.
“Our company firmly opposes any behavior that offends national feelings and applies a zero-tolerance policy in this regard. We terminate with immediate effect any collaboration with Kylian Mbappé,” Dongpeng stated in a press release.
The Chinese government gets involved
Following the loss of the two advertising contracts in the Middle Kingdom, Kylian Mbappé is now the target of criticism from the Chinese government.
“Any remark or any act that wounds the feelings of the Chinese people naturally faces broad rejection from across Chinese society,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a briefing on Tuesday.
After the giants Dongpeng (drinks) and Mengniu (dairy products), the cheese maker Milkground also announced the end of its collaboration with the France captain.
Real Madrid also has a lot at stake…
Moreover, this story could also have consequences for the Merengues, according to Marca on Tuesday.
First of all, Real Madrid keeps 20% of the image rights of the former Parisian, and the end of his collaborations with the brands Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground will thus have a direct impact on Madrid’s revenues. Moreover, Real Madrid earns between 10% and 15% of its international sales from merchandise in China, and Mbappé’s jersey is the best-selling product!
Mbappé apologizes!
Highly regarded in China, Kylian Mbappé is seeing his popularity drop. In response to this major controversy, he reacted on Tuesday by releasing a statement in three languages (English, Spanish, Mandarin). “I apologize to all those whom my words have hurt. It was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” reads the player’s statement, acknowledging “unwise words.”
