Chinese brands drop Mbappé after comment about 'Chinese dictator' meme

• Associated Press

Oct 27, 2026, 03:42 AM ET

Kylian Mbappé's face appears in ads across China but now at least three companies are cutting ties with him after he made some comments apparently referring to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.

Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced Tuesday in similarly worded statements that they were ending agreements with the star, 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 Mbappé being interviewed ahead of going on the French online talk show "The Bridge" circulated on X.

In the video, Mbappé is asked about his favorite 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 Mbappé's face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.

The Associated Press was immediately unable to reach Mbappé's representatives for comment.

Social media platform RedNote joined the criticism, saying in a separate statement that the company had a content partnership with Mbappé that ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would "remove related promotional materials." It likewise expressed opposition to "any conduct that hurts national sentiment."

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Mbappé has featured in advertising campaigns in China for products from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one commercial for Dongpeng, Mbappé delivers a slogan in Chinese; in an ad for Mengniu, he appears alongside Lionel Messi.

On Chinese social media, there were already several comments criticising him.

The hashtags "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé" and "Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé" topped Weibo's trending list. "Football fans boycott Mbappé" was also trending, with some users expressing anger at his remarks or telling him not to come to China.