French football star Kylian Mbappe apologises for 'ill-judged' Mao remark after being dropped by Chinese brands

French footballer Kylian Mbappe has apologised for an "ill-judged" remark about Mao Zedong after being dropped by Chinese brands.

At least three companies said they were cutting ties with the Real Madrid player after he appeared to refer to Mao, the founder of the People's Republic of China, as a dictator.

China's state television has also halted broadcasts of matches and events involving the Spanish LaLiga and Mbappe, state-backed outlet the Paper reported.

The 27-year-old has now said in a statement: "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world.

"I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry."

Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced their decision to end agreements with Mbappe 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 showed 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".

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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.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas issued an apology on X, saying the organisation deeply regretted the alleged ⁠comments that "have caused discomfort and offence in China".

"We are taking the measures within our reach and working directly with our partners and ​interlocutors in China to overcome this situation," he wrote. "A relationship built over so many years cannot be damaged by ​a single episode."

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.

(c) Sky News 2026: French football star Kylian Mbappe apologises for 'ill-judged' Mao remark after being dropped by Chinese br