Mbappé apologizes for calling Mao a dictator

The comment that sparked fury

In a video clip from French talk show The Bridge posted Monday, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé called Mao Zedong a dictator while describing a meme with his face photoshopped onto the Chinese leader's picture.

“some guy, I think he's a Chinese dictator”

The dictator meme explained

Soccer fans superimpose Mbappé's face onto pictures of military and political leaders as a play on his nickname the dictator, referring to his perceived authority and influence over football clubs and media.

Mbappé's mixed feelings

Mbappé told French magazine L'Equipe last month that he found some memes funny but others demonstrated a lack of political and human awareness. He objected to being compared to people who murder others.

“To be compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions and millions of people miserable”

Why Mao is sensitive in China

Parody of Chinese leaders is politically sensitive in China, especially mockery of Mao, who founded the People's Republic of China in nineteen forty-nine and ruled until his death in nineteen seventy-six.

How China views Mao

Within China, many view Mao as a revolutionary figure who unified the country and transformed it into an independent nation. Official accounts argue his lifetime contributions to the Chinese revolution outweighed his mistakes.

Mbappé's apology

Mbappé said in a statement in three languages that his comment was ill-judged and apologized to everyone his words upset. He said he has deep respect for the Chinese people and their history.

“My comment was ill-judged. I apologize to everyone my words have upset.”

Broadcasters suspend coverage

Several Chinese broadcasters suspended coverage related to Mbappé and Spanish soccer league LaLiga. Some brands pulled advertisements featuring the sports star. China's Foreign Ministry said opposition to his words was natural.

Sponsorship deals cancelled

China's largest dairy producer Mengniu, cheesemaker Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, and beverage giant Dongpeng ceased partnerships with Mbappé.

Global brands remove content

Global brands including Dior, Rimowa, Nike, Hublot, and On Running removed promotional content featuring Mbappé from their accounts on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Chinese media reported.

State television suspends broadcasts

China's state television CCTV suspended broadcasts of all matches and events involving Mbappé and LaLiga, and pulled advertisements featuring him.The broadcaster said it hoped he would genuinely learn a lesson and thoroughly correct his mistake.

Online backlash and account restrictions

Mbappé, once affectionately nicknamed Guigui in China, now faces a firestorm online. Calls to boycott him trended on Weibo. His accounts on Weibo and Rednote were restricted for violating community guidelines.

Chinese media's response

State media outlet China Daily reported the backlash threatened his lucrative commercial relationships. Global Times said the message from Chinese consumers is clear: respect is not optional and one does not get to profit from…

“Respect is not optional; one doesn't get to profit from China while disrespecting it. Not a chance.”

Western pushback on apology

French social media users criticized Mbappé for retreating on his comments. Marc Julienne of the French Institute of International Relations told Le Parisien that describing Mao as a dictator reflects consensus among Western historians, though…

U.S. committee condemns apology

The U.S.House Select Committee on China posted that Mbappé should not apologize for calling Mao a dictator.The committee said the real disgrace is companies rushing to apologize so they can continue doing business in China.

“Mao was a dictator, and by orders of magnitude, he did more harm to the Chinese people than a comment from a soccer player ever could.”