Mbappe deepfake joke resurfaces as its creator faces unexpected China fallout

Younes Khelifi never imagined that a satirical video posted several years ago would help trigger a controversy extending beyond football. The Frenchman created a deepfake showing Kylian Mbappe with the face of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. After Mbappe referred to the video as his favourite meme, its renewed circulation contributed to a wider dispute in China.

Khelifi posted the clip on his X account in August 2023. At the time, it attracted little attention in China, but it returned to prominence on Tuesday 27 October after Mbappe discussed it on The Bridge podcast.

Mbappe, captain of the France national team, said: “The meme that made me laugh the most was when they put the head of a man – I think he was a Chinese dictator – on my body.”

The use of the word “dictator” prompted widespread anger in China. The reaction developed into a commercial issue, with Chinese companies suspending partnerships with the player. Chinese authorities said the incident represented “an act that hurts the feelings of the Chinese people”.

‘Total madness’

Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien, Khelifi said he was surprised by the scale of the reaction and pleased that Mbappe had enjoyed the original video.

“I saw the video on Monday evening, and I was happy when Mbappe said it was his favourite meme. That made me happy. But I never expected it to cross borders and lead to a diplomatic crisis. It is total madness,” he said.

Khelifi explained that the idea had emerged during the summer of 2023, when Mbappe’s future at Paris St-Germain was the subject of intense discussion.

“I followed football to some extent, I worked as a developer, and I was interested in deepfake technology and artificial intelligence for making humorous videos,” he said. “Two ideas came together in my mind, and I made this video.”

He insisted that the clip was not intended to offend Chinese people or any other community.

“I did not want to hurt the feelings of any people. I was simply making humorous videos, and when the idea came to me, I carried it out,” Khelifi said.

‘I have nothing you can get’

The video’s creator also expressed sympathy for Mbappe, saying the forward had faced consequences far beyond what was warranted by an unintended mistake.

“I feel sorry for Mbappe. It is sad that he has to deal with all of this because of an unintentional slip, and that he could lose sponsors and potential supporters. He is bearing much more than the seriousness of the issue warrants,” he said.

Khelifi later addressed the controversy on X, writing: “I woke up to find that I had caused a diplomatic crisis. If you sue me, Mbappe, I will be financially ruined. Sorry, I have nothing you can get.”

In a message to Chinese followers who began following him because of the dispute, Khelifi said he regarded Mao Zedong as one of the most influential figures in world history. He also expressed admiration for China’s history and culture, said he hoped to visit the country one day and ended: “Long live Chinese-French friendship!”