Chinese brands end Mbappe deals after backlash over Mao meme comments

Kylian Mbappe has lost the backing of several Chinese brands after an online video appeared to show him describing a meme linked to Mao Zedong as the funniest image made about him.

In the video, which emerged on Monday, Mbappe is heard referring to a meme in which his face had been digitally placed over that of “a Chinese dictator”. Reuters has not been able to authenticate the footage.

The reaction centres on memes that superimpose Mbappe’s face on images of military and political leaders. The images are intended to suggest that the France captain has the authority to make decisions at the clubs for which he plays.

Mao, the founder of the People’s Republic of China, is regarded by many in the country as its saviour, while jokes about him are widely considered taboo. He died in 1976.

Eastroc Beverage, which had used Mbappe’s image on its drinks, announced on China’s Weibo social media platform that it would immediately end its relationship with the forward.

“We firmly oppose behaviour that hurts national sentiment,” the company said in a statement. “Effective immediately, we are ending all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe.”

Representatives for Mbappe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The player discussed the meme trend in an interview with L’Equipe last month. He said some elements were harmless and could be regarded as fun, but criticised the versions portraying him as a dictator, describing them as showing “a lack of political and human awareness”.

Dairy companies Mengniu and Milkground have also ended their cooperation with Mbappe, adding to the commercial fallout from the controversy.

Asked about the incident, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said comments or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people “will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society”.

China’s state television has also stopped showing all matches and events involving LaLiga and Mbappe, according to a report by the state-backed media outlet The Paper on Tuesday.

The Paper also reported that advertisements featuring Mbappe had been removed.

LaLiga and Real Madrid did not immediately respond to requests for comment.