Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid striker and captain of the French national team, on Tuesday offered a public apology for his statements regarding the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, after he described him as a "dictator" in a video clip that was widely circulated, and sparked a wave of anger in China that led to the cancellation of advertising contracts linked to the French star.
According to the French newspaper "L'Equipe", Mbappe issued a statement through his accounts on social media platforms, in which he expressed his deep regret for what he described as unsuccessful statements, stressing that he did not intend to insult the Chinese people or their history.
Mbappe said in his statement: “I offer my apologies to all those who were hurt by my words. That was not my intention at all. “I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.”
The player, who ranked second in the 2026 Ballon d'Or race, published his apology in three languages: French, English and Mandarin Chinese, in an attempt to contain the repercussions of the crisis that sparked widespread reactions within China.
Mbappe's apology came after a similar step by the Spanish League, which expressed its regret for the controversial statements, at a time when Chinese companies announced the end of their advertising links with the French star, against the backdrop of what it considered an insult to national sentiments.
The crisis goes back to the circulation of a video clip in which Mbappe appeared describing Mao Zedong as a “dictator,” before his statements turned into an issue that sparked widespread criticism in China and cast a shadow over his business relations in one of the largest global football markets.
Statements attributed to Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, captain of the French national team and Real Madrid striker, sparked widespread controversy in China, after they were interpreted as including a sarcastic reference to the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, which prompted Chinese companies to end their commercial cooperation with the player, amid reports of stopping the broadcast of matches and events related to the Spanish League.
Javier Tebas, President of the Spanish League, issued an apology via the “X” platform for the statements attributed to Mbappe, expressing the League’s deep regret for the discontent and abuse it caused in China.
Tebas said that the association is working with its partners and relevant authorities in China to overcome the crisis, adding that the relationship that was built over many years should not be harmed by a single incident.
According to Reuters, Chinese companies, including the dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground, and the beverage company Eastrock, announced that they were ending their cooperation with Mbappe with immediate effect, stressing their rejection and intolerance of any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
A report published by Chinese media also stated that Chinese state television stopped broadcasting all matches and events related to the Spanish League and Mbappe, in addition to removing advertisements in which the player appears.
The crisis began after a video clip spread online on Monday, in which Mbappe was heard talking about a satirical image in which his face was superimposed on the image of a person he described as a Chinese dictator. The reference has been linked to Mao Zedong, who ruled China from 1949 until his death in 1976.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the video, while Mbappe’s representatives did not issue an immediate comment on the incident, and Real Madrid refused to comment.
The developments come at a time when Mbappe has commercial relations with international brands, highlighting the potential repercussions of the crisis on his commercial partnerships in the Chinese market, while the nature of the measures that the Spanish League may take to address its repercussions on its relations in China is not yet clear.
