Three Chinese Brands Drop Soccer Star Mbappe After Dictator Comment

Kylian Mbappé, the French soccer captain whose image is plastered on subway ads and building elevators across China, is losing major commercial backing. Three companies announced on Tuesday that they are terminating their agreements with him. The move follows a viral video in which he referred to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.

Beverage manufacturer Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu, and cheese maker Milkground issued statements with nearly identical language. Each company said it opposes "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment." The firms did not detail the specific trigger for the cancellations, but the announcements came shortly after a clip circulated on the social platform X.

In the video, Mbappé is being interviewed before appearing on the French online show "The Bridge." When asked about his favorite meme, he points to a video featuring a man he identifies as a Chinese dictator. The clip then displays an edited image of Mbappé's head superimposed on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong. Soccer fans often use the term dictator to describe players who dominate their teams, and similar memes are common online.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs joined the corporate response. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that words and actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face joint opposition from all sectors of society. The social media platform RedNote also issued a statement. It clarified that its content partnership with Mbappé ended on December 31, 2024, and said it would remove related promotional materials. The company expressed the same opposition to conduct that hurts national sentiment.

Mbappé's RedNote account stopped accepting new followers on Tuesday. The French star has been a prominent face in Chinese advertising for electrolyte drinks, milk, and cheese. In one Dongpeng commercial, he recites a slogan in Chinese. In a Mengniu ad, he appears next to Argentine star Lionel Messi. His representatives did not immediately return requests for comment from the Associated Press.

Online reactions in China turned quickly toward criticism. Hashtags such as "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé" and "Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé" rose to the top of the trending list on Weibo. Another trending tag, "Football fans boycott Mbappé," gathered users expressing anger or telling the player not to visit China. The brands and the platform have not announced any further steps beyond the initial statements.