Dongpeng, Mengniu Cut Ties With Kylian Mbappé Over Mao Zedong Comment

Kylian Mbappé lost three major Chinese brand endorsements on Tuesday after a video clip surfaced in which he referred to a "Chinese dictator." Beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu, and cheese maker Milkground each announced the end of their agreements with the French national team captain. Their official statements shared identical language, stating that the companies oppose any words or actions that hurt national sentiment.

The departures follow a timeline of growing visibility for the player in the Chinese market. For months, Mbappé’s face has appeared in advertisements across subway stations and residential elevators. His campaigns included specific product lines such as electrolyte drinks and milk. In one commercial for Dongpeng, he delivered a slogan in Chinese. In a separate spot for Mengniu, he appeared on screen with Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.

The breaking point arrived after a clip from an interview on the French online show "The Bridge" circulated on X. During the segment, hosts asked Mbappé about his favorite meme involving his image. He replied that it was a video of a man he identified as a Chinese dictator. The clip subsequently showed an edited image superimposing Mbappé’s face onto the body of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, wearing a blue suit.

Online soccer communities frequently joke that Mbappé acts like a dictator because he overshadows his teammates and clubs. Memes comparing him to autocratic leaders have circulated widely in those spaces. The specific reference to Mao triggered a stronger reaction in China, where the founding leader holds a complex historical position.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed the controversy on Tuesday. She stated that words and actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally meet with joint opposition from all sectors of society. Social media platform RedNote also issued a statement regarding the partnership. The company said its content deal with Mbappé ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would remove related promotional materials.

Reactions on Chinese social media intensified after the brand announcements. Hashtags for "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé" and "Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé" topped the trending list on Weibo. A separate hashtag, "Football fans boycott Mbappé," also gained traction. Some users expressed anger over the remarks, while others suggested the player should avoid visiting China.

Mbappé’s representatives had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication. His account on RedNote stopped accepting new followers on Tuesday. The player has not publicly addressed the comments or the subsequent loss of endorsements.