Football star Mbappé apologizes over Mao Zedong meme
French football star Kylian Mbappé has issued an official apology in French, Chinese, and English on his X account over a video in which he allegedly made jokes about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The incident has prompted several major Chinese brands to terminate their commercial partnerships with the Real Madrid forward, while media platforms have removed related content.
"My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologize to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry," he wrote.
https://t.co/MQBo9NCSy5
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) October 27, 2026
China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun commented on the reports during a regular briefing on Tuesday.
Asked about reports that Chinese brands had ended their partnerships with Mbappe, Guo said: “We noted relevant reports. Any rhetoric or action that hurts the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be rejected across the sectors in China.”
Meanwhile, Chinese digital newspaper The Paper reported that China’s state television had suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches and games featuring Mbappé since Monday evening. All advertisements featuring the footballer had also been taken off the air.
Earlier, it was reported that Kylian Mbappé had been crowned the winner of the Golden Boot award after finishing as the top scorer at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with 10 goals, becoming the first player to win the award twice after also claiming it at Qatar 2022.
