BEIJING – Kylian Mbappé’s image is familiar across China, appearing everywhere from subway stations to elevator screens. But at least three Chinese companies are now ending their partnerships with the French soccer star after remarks that appeared to reference Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.
Beverage producer Dongpeng, dairy company Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced Tuesday, in similarly worded statements, that they were terminating their agreements with Mbappé. Each said it opposed “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”
The companies did not identify the specific comments behind their decisions. Their announcements followed the circulation on X of a video that appeared to show Mbappé being interviewed before an appearance on the French online talk show “The Bridge.”
Asked about his favorite meme featuring himself, Mbappé said it was “a video someone made of a guy … I think he was a Chinese dictator.” The clip then showed an altered image placing Mbappé’s face on the body of Mao Zedong, who was dressed in a blue suit.
Fans online have jokingly called Mbappé — a star often described as overshadowing many teammates and even the clubs he represents — a dictator. Memes portraying him as Mao and other authoritarian leaders have circulated widely.
The Associated Press was not immediately able to reach Mbappé’s representatives for comment.
Asked about the controversy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said 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.”
RedNote also joined the criticism in a separate statement. The social media platform said its content partnership with Mbappé had ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would “remove related promotional materials.” The company similarly said it opposed “any conduct that hurts national sentiment.”
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Mbappé’s RedNote account was not accepting new followers Tuesday.
Mbappé has appeared in Chinese advertising campaigns for products ranging from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one Dongpeng commercial, he delivers a slogan in Chinese. In a Mengniu advertisement, he appears alongside Argentine soccer great Lionel Messi.
Criticism of the soccer star was already spreading across Chinese social media.
The hashtags “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” climbed to the top of Weibo’s trending list. “Football fans boycott Mbappé” was also trending, as some users condemned his remarks and others urged him not to visit China.
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Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report from Beijing.
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