Kylian Mbappe loses two Chinese sponsorship deals after Mao joke

The controversy centres on a video in which Kylian Mbappe discusses an internet meme. According to BBC Football, he allegedly said his "favourite meme" is "the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator".

Guardian Sport reported that the video appears to show the France captain referring to Mao Zedong as a "dictator". The reported remark concerned an image combining Mbappe's face with Mao's, rather than a broader statement about China.

By Tuesday, October 27, the circulating video had triggered an online backlash in China. Bloomberg Technology reported that the comments were deemed insulting to Mao Zedong.

That day, Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu ended their deals with Mbappe, according to Guardian Sport. The two companies turned the controversy into a concrete commercial loss for the footballer.

The dispute also drew a government response on October 27. Infobae reported that China warned that words and actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese people would be rejected by all sectors of society.

L'Équipe likewise reported that the Chinese government considered the public rejection of Mbappe natural. That response widened the dispute beyond the two sponsorship decisions.

The confirmed sponsorship fallout in the supplied reporting is the loss of two Chinese brand partnerships. Guardian Sport identifies those brands as Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu, while BBC Football describes a growing backlash over the Mao joke.

The coverage provided does not establish the value of those contracts or include a response from Mbappe. It also leaves the original recording date and the full context of the exchange unclear.