October 27, 2026
French star Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid striker, is facing a severe commercial and media crisis in the Chinese market, following sarcastic statements he made about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, which sparked a widespread wave of anger and led to the cancellation of several sponsorship contracts.
The roots of the crisis go back to the spread of a video clip from a television interview in which Mbappé spoke about his use of a sarcastic image that merged his face with an image of Mao Zedong, which sparked widespread criticism on social media platforms in China.
Against the backdrop of this controversy, Dong Ping Beverage and Mengniu Food Products announced the official end of their partnerships with the player, while unconfirmed reports indicated the possibility of him demanding financial compensation.
In the same context, media reports reported that Chinese state television had suspended the broadcast of Spanish League matches, in addition to removing all promotional materials related to Mbappe.
These negative developments outside the green rectangle coincide with the sporting shock the player received at a conference by losing the 2026 Ballon d’Or award to English striker Harry Kane, which doubled the media and commercial pressures imposed on him.
