China halts La Liga broadcasts and removes Kylian Mbappe content

China’s state television broadcaster has stopped showing La Liga matches and removed content featuring Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe after comments linked to a satirical image comparing him with former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The decision took effect on Tuesday evening, according to The Paper, which cited sources inside the broadcaster. It also included the removal of all advertisements and videos in which the France international appears.

China warned that words or actions considered offensive to the feelings of the Chinese people would face rejection across society.

The move came as several Chinese companies ended their commercial relationships with Mbappe, including Dongpeng Beverage Group and dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground.

Dongpeng Beverage Group published statements on its official account and on the Weibo account of its Poshui La brand, announcing that its partnerships with Mbappe had ended immediately. The company said it would not tolerate any behaviour that hurt national sentiment.

Mengniu and Milkground also confirmed that their commercial agreements with the striker had been terminated, but neither company specified the incident behind its decision.

In recent months, Mbappe’s advertisements for Poshui La had appeared frequently on billboards, buses and in lifts across Chinese cities. The campaigns were particularly prominent last summer, during the 2026 World Cup.

Mengniu is one of China’s largest dairy groups and has major international sports sponsorship partnerships, including agreements connected to the World Cup and the International Olympic Committee, as well as a relationship with Argentina forward Lionel Messi. Milkground has also used Mbappe in its advertising campaigns.

Xiaohongshu, known internationally as RedNote, said its partnership with Mbappe had ended on 31 December 2024 when the contract expired. The platform added that it was reviewing content linked to the player and removing some related posts.

Chinese sports website Dongqiudi also replaced Mbappe’s name with the phrase “there is no such person” in its 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, where the Real Madrid forward was listed second.

The dispute began after Mbappe was asked in a recent interview about his favourite satirical image. He said: “The image that made me laugh the most is the one where they put my face on a picture of a Chinese dictator. I use it a lot with my friends.”

Although Mbappe did not identify a specific leader, a composite image showing his face on a picture of Mao Zedong had circulated on social media in recent months.

Mockery of former leaders and prominent figures associated with China’s ruling Communist Party is subject to strict restrictions. In some cases, people can face legal action for “defaming heroes and martyrs” under controls on political content.

The incident is not the first dispute involving Spanish football organisations and China.

In September 2024, Chinese state media criticised Real Madrid over a message that referred to Nepal and Tibet together after flooding. Local media described the wording as inaccurate.

Barcelona apologised in April after a Taiwan flag appeared on a page linked to its international academy. In February, Real Madrid issued an apology attributed to defender Dean Huijsen after content reposted on Instagram was considered racist and offensive to Asians.