Kylian Mbappe has lost multiple major commercial partnerships in China after referring to founding leader Mao Zedong as a dictator in a resurfaced interview clip, triggering widespread public backlash and boycotts across Chinese social media platforms

Kylian Mbappe has lost multiple major commercial partnerships in China after referring to founding leader Mao Zedong as a dictator in a resurfaced interview clip, triggering widespread public backlash and boycotts across Chinese social media platforms

Kylian Mbappe has lost multiple major commercial partnerships in China after referring to founding leader Mao Zedong as a dictator in a resurfaced interview clip, triggering widespread public backlash and boycotts across Chinese social media platforms

The face of French football star Kylian Mbappe is a familiar sight across China, appearing on advertisements in underground stations and lifts. However, at least three major companies are now terminating commercial partnerships with the national team captain following remarks referring to Mao Zedong – the founding leader of Communist China – as a dictator.

Beverage producer Dongpeng, dairy firm Mengniu, and cheese manufacturer Milkground announced on Tuesday that they were ending agreements with the footballer. Each said that they firmly oppose "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment".

The organisations did not explicitly identify the trigger for their decisions, but the statements followed the circulation of a clip on X showing Mbappe being interviewed ahead of an appearance on the French online talk show The Bridge.

In the video, Mbappe is asked about his favourite meme of himself. The forward answers that it was "a video someone made of a guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator", after which the clip displays an edited image superimposing Mbappe's face onto the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.

Football supporters online frequently joke about the forward being a "dictator"—alluding to his tendency to overshadow his teammates and even the clubs he represents—and memes showing him as Mao or other autocratic figures circulate widely.

Mbappe or his representatives are yet to comment on the matter.

Social media network RedNote also joined the criticism, confirming in a separate release that a content partnership with Mbappe had concluded on December 31, 2024, and that it would move to "remove related promotional materials". The platform likewise declared its objection to "any conduct that hurts national sentiment".

Mbappe has regularly featured in commercial programmes across China, promoting products ranging from electrolyte drinks to dairy goods. In an advert for Dongpeng, he recites a brand slogan in Mandarin; in a Mengniu campaign, he appears alongside Argentine football icon Lionel Messi.

A wave of public criticism swiftly surfaced on Chinese social networks.

The hashtags "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappe" and "several brands end partnerships with Mbappe" climbed to the summit of Weibo's trending charts. "Football fans boycott Mbappe" was also trending, with several users expressing outrage over his comments and warning the player to stay away from China.

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