China: 'Extremely serious and inappropriate' remarks… Two Chinese firms cut ties with Mbappé

A joke that will cost him dearly. Two large Chinese companies, Dongpeng and Mengniu, announced on Tuesday that they were terminating their cooperation with Kylian Mbappé in reaction to a video circulating online. In it, the French football star appears to be joking about former historic leader Mao Zedong.

“Our company firmly opposes any behavior that offends national sentiments and implements a zero-tolerance policy in this regard,” beverage giant Dongpeng said in a statement. “We are terminating with immediate effect any collaboration with Kylian Mbappé,” she added. Mengniu, a big name in dairy products in China, issued a similar statement almost verbatim at short intervals.

- Words “offensive to China” - The two companies react to a video circulating online. The Real Madrid striker appears to say that the funniest Internet meme he has seen is a photo montage of his face superimposed on that of a man he believes to be “a Chinese dictator”. He seemed to be referring to a meme showing his face applied to an image of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, one example among many others of montages between the features of the captain of the French team and various historical figures.

AFP's digital verification services were initially unable to confirm the authenticity of the video. Kylian Mbappé is eminently popular in China where football arouses great enthusiasm despite the poor results of the national team, which has not qualified for the World Cup since its only participation in 2002. The exploits and the lives of the greats of football are followed closely.

But jokes, diversions or unfavorable remarks at the expense of historical figures are a sensitive matter in China where they can be seen as a lack of respect. Words “offensive to China” Mao, the “Great Helmsman” who died in 1976, was the leader of the communist revolution and proclaimed the People's Republic in 1949. “Dongpeng drinks end collaboration with Mbappé” has become the most discussed topic on the social network Weibo.

“I will never buy Dongpeng or Mengniu products again if no legal action is taken” against the player to claim compensation, commented a Weibo user. Kylian Mbappé’s “extremely serious and inappropriate” comments “crossed the red line. They are totally unacceptable,” added another.

Dongqiudi, a major site specializing in football, blasted words on Monday evening that were “offensive to China and the Chinese people”. They “hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans and the Chinese people.” Mbappé's name or traits have been commonly associated with authoritarian figures on social media due to the ascendancy attributed to him in the locker room.

The outcry observed in China comes for the star the day after his disappointment in the 2026 Ballon d'Or, awarded to English striker Harry Kane.

Machine-translated from French