27th October 2026 – (Beijing) Kylian Mbappe lost two major Chinese endorsements on Tuesday after a video circulated online in which the French footballer appeared to joke about former leader Mao Zedong. Dongpeng Beverage Group said it was immediately terminating all cooperation with the Real Madrid forward, citing a zero‑tolerance stance toward behaviour that offends national sentiments, while dairy giant Mengniu announced an identical move. Mbappe had featured widely in Dongpeng promotions this year, including AI‑generated adverts for its Bushuila electrolyte drink, and had been a popular figure among Chinese fans.
The backlash intensified on Weibo, where the termination by Dongpeng became a top‑trending topic and users called for the player’s image to be removed from product packaging. Football outlet Dongqiudi condemned the remarks as offensive to China and its people. The controversy followed the emergence of a clip in which Mbappe described a meme he had seen of his face placed on “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator”, apparently referring to an image of him superimposed on Mao. AFP Fact Check said the authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified.
In a September interview with L’Equipe, Mbappe had addressed memes likening him to dictators, acknowledging some humour but rejecting comparisons with individuals responsible for historical atrocities. The latest furore came a day after he was beaten to the Ballon d’Or by Harry Kane.