La Liga apologises to China after Mbappe comments spark backlash

La Liga has apologised to the Chinese people after comments by Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe triggered a backlash in the country.

China’s state television authority has stopped broadcasting La Liga matches and removed content featuring Mbappe following controversy over remarks about a satirical image comparing him with former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

In a statement, La Liga said: “La Liga deeply regrets the offence caused among Chinese fans by Kylian Mbappe’s recent comments. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent the position of La Liga. As an institution, we apologise on behalf of La Liga and all its clubs.

“Spanish football stands for respect, coexistence and unity among people from different cultures. We respect China, its institutions and its people, and greatly value the support of the millions of fans who follow us every week. We reaffirm our commitment to the relationship we have built over many years.

“We are working with our partners and the relevant institutional bodies in China to address this situation. Together with clubs and players, we will also introduce an awareness and communications protocol to promote respect for different cultures and help prevent similar incidents in the future.”

According to Chinese newspaper The Paper, citing sources within the television authority, the decision came into force on Tuesday evening. It also included the removal of advertisements and videos featuring the player.

China warned that words or actions which hurt the feelings of the Chinese people would be rejected by different sections of society.

Several Chinese companies have also ended commercial partnerships with Mbappe, including Dongpeng Beverages, Mengniu and Milk Ground. Dongpeng and its brand Bu Shu La published statements on Weibo announcing the immediate termination of their relationship with the player, saying they would not tolerate behaviour that hurt national sentiment.

Mengniu and Milk Ground also ended their agreements with the France forward, without specifying the incident behind their decisions. Mbappe’s Bu Shu La advertising had appeared regularly on billboards, buses and lifts in Chinese cities in recent months, particularly last summer during the 2026 World Cup.

Mengniu is one of China’s largest dairy groups and has major international sports sponsorships linked to the World Cup and the International Olympic Committee, as well as a partnership with Argentina forward Lionel Messi. Milk Ground had also used Mbappe in its advertising campaigns.

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

Chinese sports website Dongqiudi 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 second.

The controversy began when 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 he did not name a specific leader, an edited image showing Mbappe’s face on Mao Zedong’s portrait has circulated on social media in recent months.

China places strict restrictions on satire involving former leaders and prominent figures connected to the ruling Communist Party. In some cases, people can face legal action for damaging the reputation of heroes and martyrs.

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. Barcelona apologised in April after a Taiwan flag appeared on a page linked to its international academy, while Real Madrid apologised in February over an Instagram repost attributed to defender Dean Huijsen that was considered racist and offensive to Asians.