French football star Kylian Mbappe dropped by Chinese brands after 'dictator' remark

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 10:01

At least three Chinese companies are cutting ties with Kylian Mbappe after he appeared to refer to Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, as a dictator.

Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced their decision to end agreements on Tuesday.

In similarly worded statements, each company said they oppose "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment".

They did not specify what prompted their decisions, but the statements came after the release of a clip that appeared to show Mbappe being interviewed before going on the French online talk show The Bridge.

In the video, the footballer is asked about his favourite meme of himself, which he says is "a video someone made of a guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator".

Although the 27-year-old doesn't identify Mao by name, the video then shows an altered image depicting Mbappe's face on his blue-suited body.

Football fans often jokingly call the star - who is said to overshadow many of his teammates and even the teams he plays on - a dictator, and memes showing him as Mao or other autocratic leaders are often circulated.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in response to a question about the controversy that "words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society".

More from Sky News:
Poundland close to collapse
Why are taxpayers buying this airport?

Mbappe's face appears in adverts across China, featuring on train station billboards and posters, as well as products themselves.

In one ad for Dongpeng, Mbappe delivers a slogan in Chinese while in another for Mengniu, he appears alongside Argentina's Lionel Messi.

Mbappe has not yet commented on the issue.

Criticism of Mao is heavily restricted in China and it is not the first time that using language seen by Beijing as disrespectful to Mao has landed someone in hot water.

In 2015, an anchor on China's main state broadcaster, CCTV, faced calls for "severe punishment" after a video of him insulting Mao spread online.

Sky News