Major Chinese companies broke advertising contracts with Mbappé
Major Chinese companies ended advertising cooperation with French footballer Kylian Mbappé after a scandal over his remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The Real Madrid player has already issued a public apology, but this did not stop the terminations.
This was reported on October 27 by ABC News Australia and Sky News.
At least three Chinese companies dropped Mbappé: beverage maker Dongpeng Beverage Group, one of the largest dairy producers Mengniu, and cheese producer Milkground.
All three companies announced the termination of agreements on October 27. In their statements they stressed that they do not tolerate remarks and actions that offend the national feelings of the Chinese people.
Dongpeng previously engaged the French footballer to promote sports drinks. During the 2026 World Cup the company actively used his image in advertising campaigns. Mbappé also participated in promoting Mengniu dairy products.
The scandal was triggered by a video that spread on social media. In the recording the footballer talks about popular internet memes featuring his image. In particular, he mentions a picture in which his face was superimposed on the image of a person Mbappé called a Chinese dictator.
This referred to Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China. The fragment is linked to an interview with the French internet show The Bridge. In China, such remarks about Mao are considered offensive, and the circulation of the clip drew widespread criticism.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded to the scandal. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that words and actions affecting the feelings of the Chinese people naturally trigger negative reactions in Chinese society.
After the advertising agreements were terminated, Mbappé publicly apologized. In a statement published on October 27 in French, Chinese and English, the footballer admitted that his comment was inappropriate.
“My statement was ill-considered, and now I understand that it hurt many people in China and Chinese communities around the world,” — Mbappé said.
The footballer stressed that he did not intend to offend anyone and respects the Chinese people and their history.
The scandal affected not only advertising contracts. According to Sky News citing Chinese media, Chinese state television also suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches and events tied to Mbappé.
Chinese social platform RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, announced the removal of advertising materials featuring the footballer. The company noted that its own agreement with him ended in December 2024, so this was not a termination of a new contract.
Financial terms of the agreements with Chinese brands have not been disclosed. Therefore the exact size of Mbappé's losses from the broken cooperation remains unknown.
For the footballer, the fallout from the scandal could go beyond personal advertising income. China remains a large market for international football, and commercial partnerships with sports stars are used by local companies to promote products among millions of fans.
