Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has found himself at the center of a scandal that has cost him millions and two major sponsorship deals in China.
The reason?
A seemingly innocent joke that has deeply hurt the national feelings of the Asian country.
It all started with an online video in which Mbappe comments on the funniest internet prank he's ever seen with himself. It's about his face, made with Photoshop, but Mbappe himself defines the joke with a smile, saying that he's like a "Chinese dictator".
On social networks, Mbappe's image was posted as a funny picture resembling the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Mao "dictator": Chinese sponsors are releasing Mbappé ⚽🇨🇳 Bad night for Kylian Mbappé. Second, behind Harry Kane yesterday at the Ballon d’Or, he was released this night by two sponsors who accuse him of "hurting national sentiments of the country" in a video. https://t.co/DUi03KCz6Z
— Good Morning Business (@goodmorning_biz) October 27, 2026The reaction from Chinese companies was swift and uncompromising. Beverage giant Dongpeng issued a sharp statement: "Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behavior that offends national sentiments. With immediate effect, we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé."
A similar position was taken by China's largest dairy producer, Mengniu, which also terminated its contract with the French striker.
The company said that "Mengniu firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people."
The news of the termination of cooperation instantly became a top topic on the Chinese social network Weibo.
🚨 JUST IN: Chinese beverage company DongPeng have ended their sponsorship with Kylian Mbappé after he referred to former Chinese Premier Mao Zedong as a “dictator”. The company has said they have “zero tolerance” for statements that hurt their national sentiment. @marca https://t.co/4nnA9fMaCJ
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) October 27, 2026The incident comes at a particularly delicate moment for Mbappe, 27, who only on Monday lost the "Ballon d'Or" to Harry Kane. Now, in addition to the disappointment of the awards, he will also have to deal with the financial consequences of his comment, which, although probably unintentional, caused a huge storm in one of the world's biggest markets.