The club initially argued that Mbappe had no intent to offend while also explaining that players have freedom of expression, which predictably did not go over well.THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE.DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!During a recent interview on The Bridge, a French talk show hosted by Mbappe's Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, the 27-year-old superstar laughed about a meme with his face imposed on an image resembling Mao.
One of Mbappe's most popular nicknames is "The Dictator," hence the meme and joking around.Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid v RB Leipzig at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 21, 2026 in Madrid Spain (Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images) (Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images)China did not find anything funny about the French star laughing at a meme of Mao, the communist dictator whose regime resulted in tens of millions of deaths.Several Chinese sponsors severed ties with Mbappe, and state-run CCTV stopped airing La Liga matches in China, the top-flight league in Spain that featured Real Madrid and 19 other clubs.La Liga wasted no time in issuing a public apology, explaining that Mbappe's comments do not represent the league.
Less than an hour later came Mbappe's own public apology, which included a note that he now understands his comments "hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world."BOBBY BURACK: KYLIAN MBAPPÉ JOINS LEBRON JAMES, JOHN CENA, OTHER ATHLETES IN BENDING THE KNEE TO CHINABottles of Dongpeng Beverage Group's "Bushuila" electrolyte drink featuring French football star Kylian Mbappe on the packaging are displayed at a convenience store in Beijing on October 27, 2026.Kylian Mbappe was dropped October 27 by two major brands in China after a video circulated online in which the French football star apparently joked about former leader Mao Zedong.
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