BEIJING – Kylian Mbappé is a familiar face in Chinese advertising, appearing everywhere from subway stations to elevator screens. But at least three companies are now severing ties with the French soccer star after remarks that appeared to describe Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.
Beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground said Tuesday that they were ending their agreements with Mbappé. In statements using similar language, the companies said they opposed “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”
None of the companies identified a specific trigger for the move. Their announcements followed the spread on X of a clip that appeared to show Mbappé being interviewed before an appearance on “The Bridge,” a French online talk show.
Asked about his favorite meme featuring himself, Mbappé responded that it was “a video someone made of a guy … I think he was a Chinese dictator.” The clip then showed an edited image placing Mbappé’s face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.
Online soccer fans have long joked that Mbappé — whose prominence is often said to eclipse that of his teammates and even the clubs he represents — is a dictator. Memes depicting him as Mao and other authoritarian leaders have circulated widely.
The Associated Press was not immediately able to obtain comment from Mbappé’s representatives.
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. 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.”
Mbappé’s RedNote account was not accepting new followers Tuesday.
Mbappé has appeared in Chinese campaigns for products ranging from electrolyte beverages to milk and cheese. In a Dongpeng commercial, he delivers a slogan in Chinese, while a Mengniu advertisement features him alongside Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.
Criticism of the soccer star was already appearing on Chinese social media.
The hashtags “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” rose 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.
