Mbappé loses Chinese sponsors after video

Kylian Mbappé’s image has long been a fixture in Chinese urban spaces, appearing on subway station walls and inside elevators. That visibility is now fading after three major companies announced on Tuesday that they are terminating their agreements with the French national team captain. The decisions followed the circulation of a video clip in which Mbappé discusses a specific internet meme.

Beverage manufacturer Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu, and cheese maker Milkground issued statements with nearly identical language. Each company said it opposes “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.” While the firms did not name the specific incident in their formal releases, the statements came shortly after a clip from an interview with the French online talk show “The Bridge” spread across social media platforms.

In the video, a host asks Mbappé about his favorite meme. The soccer star replies that it is a video showing a man he believes was “a Chinese dictator.” The clip then cuts to an altered image superimposing Mbappé’s face onto the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China. Soccer fans online often use the term dictator jokingly to describe Mbappé’s perceived dominance over his teams, and images pairing him with historical autocrats are common in digital culture.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the controversy during a press briefing. He stated that words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society. The social media platform RedNote also joined the critique. The company noted that its content partnership with Mbappé had already concluded on December 31, 2024, but it announced it would remove related promotional materials. It cited the same opposition to conduct that hurts national sentiment.

Mbappé’s account on RedNote was not accepting new followers as of Tuesday. Representatives for the soccer star did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press. Mbappé has appeared in various commercial campaigns in China, including an electrolyte drink ad where he delivers a slogan in Chinese and a dairy spot featuring Argentine star Lionel Messi.

Reactions on Chinese social media were swift. Hashtags such as “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” rose to the top of Weibo’s trending list. The tag “Football fans boycott Mbappé” also gained traction. Users expressed anger at the remarks, and some called for the star to avoid visiting China in the near future.