China backlash against Kylian Mbappe escalates as France shirt is burned

A Chinese supporter has set fire to a France shirt bearing Kylian Mbappe’s name, as anger over remarks by the Real Madrid forward continues to spread beyond official sanctions and into public protests.

The fan first stamped on posters featuring Mbappe before addressing the camera in a video that has circulated widely on social media.

“I feel extremely angry about what I heard from Mbappe regarding China,” he said. “I am imposing a severe boycott on him and I will never forgive him.”

The supporter then used a lighter to set fire to a shirt carrying Mbappe’s name. The item was notably a France shirt rather than one connected to Real Madrid, suggesting the protest was directed at the player himself rather than only at his club.

The images emerged as tensions between Mbappe and sections of the Chinese public intensified. The reaction has gone beyond diplomatic discussions and business decisions, including the suspension of broadcasts and the ending of sponsorship agreements.

Beijing was considering an apology from the France international in three languages, but the gesture has so far failed to calm the anger. The latest demonstrations indicate that many supporters believe the offence cannot be resolved by an apology alone.

The dispute began after comments concerning a satirical image that placed Mbappe’s face alongside that of Mao Zedong, the former Chinese leader. Mbappe described the image as one of his favourite pictures.

Days after those remarks, the Chinese public response extended beyond the decision by the authorities to suspend the broadcast of Real Madrid matches on state broadcaster CCTV.

Videos shared extensively online show supporters expressing their discontent through symbolic acts, including trampling on images of the player and destroying shirts bearing his name.

The scale of the reaction reflects Mao’s status in China. As the founder of the People’s Republic of China, he remains a national symbol and is widely treated as a figure beyond criticism.

That sensitivity helps explain why the controversy has developed into a broad popular backlash rather than remaining a sporting or commercial disagreement.

Apologies from Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga have not yet brought the dispute to an end, with the continuing protests showing the depth of feeling surrounding the image and the comments attributed to the player.