Massive Boycott in China Against Mbappé: What Is Known About the Scandal

Major Chinese companies have terminated their contracts with French soccer star Kylian Mbappé, and state broadcasters have suspended transmissions of Spain's LaLiga, following the release of a video in which the Real Madrid forward made comments deemed gravely offensive to the Asian giant.

The scandal erupted over an excerpt from the French show The Bridge. While discussing memes about his image as "Kylian the dictator"—which went viral during the past 2026 World Cup—the player confessed that the one that "makes him laugh the most" is one where his face is placed on the body of a "Chinese dictator," while on screen his face appeared superimposed over an image similar to that of historic leader Mao Zedong. Although the video was removed from YouTube, it quickly went viral on Chinese social networks.

Massive Boycott

The reaction in China was swift and severe. Dongqiudi, the country's largest soccer platform, accused Mbappé of showing "absolute shamelessness and a total lack of respect," endorsing his censorship on the internet. Immediately, local giants such as beverage firm Eastroc Beverage and dairy company Mengniu severed all commercial ties with the player, citing "zero tolerance" for national offenses. Cheese manufacturer Milkground adopted a similar stance.

According to the Global Times newspaper, under the trending topic #MbappeStillOwesAnApology on the Weibo network, international luxury brands like Dior and Hublot also hid their campaigns featuring the French star. The heaviest blow came from state broadcaster CCTV, which not only banned any news about Mbappé but also canceled the transmission of Spanish LaLiga matches.

The conflict escalated to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its spokesperson, Lin Jian, declared on Tuesday during a press conference that "words and actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face opposition from all of society."

Mbappé Apologizes

Facing a commercial collapse in one of the world's most lucrative markets, Mbappé issued an urgent statement on Tuesday admitting that his comment was "misguided." "I now understand that it hurt many people in China and their communities worldwide. I apologize to everyone who was offended," he expressed.

In a desperate attempt to salvage broadcasting rights, LaLiga President Javier Tebas also issued an official apology. Clarifying that the player's words were made in a personal capacity and do not represent Spanish clubs, Tebas expressed his "deep respect for China and its institutions," promising concrete measures to prevent a similar crisis from recurring. "I value the trust with which they have accompanied our soccer for so many years," he added.