Real apologise to the people of China for Mbappe remark

Updated / Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 09:37

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Real Madrid have issued an apology ⁠after star attacker Kylian Mbappe sparked a fierce backlash over his comments referring to late Chinese leader Mao Zedong as ‌a dictator.

"Real ⁠Madrid CF wishes to express its apologies to the Chinese people for any discomfort caused by the ‌recent words of our player Kylian Mbappe," ⁠Real said in ‌a statement.

"Our club maintains a deep ⁠respect ‌for China, its history, its culture and its citizens, as ⁠well as for the millions of ⁠Chinese fans who feel affection and admiration for Real Madrid."

On Tuesday, Mbappe also apologised for comments in which he apparently referred to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.

Mbappe subsequently lost brand deals with at least three different Chinese companies.

Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced that they were ending agreements with the footballer, each saying they oppose "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment".

The companies did not specify what prompted their decisions, but they released their statements after a clip that appeared to show Mbappe being interviewed ahead of going on the French online talk show The Bridge circulated on social media platform X.

In the video, Mbappe is asked about his favourite meme of himself and replies that it was "a video someone made of a guy, I think he was a Chinese dictator" before the video shows an altered image depicting Mbappe's face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.

China Media Group also said that it has suspended broadcasts of matches in the Spanish league, La Liga, and other games featuring the French footballer, and removed advertisements featuring him.

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