Laughing at a Dictator Meme Cost Mbappé His Sponsors. A Survivor of Mao’s China Says the Real Scandal Is the Silence

.

From a Joke to a Diplomatic Incident

The trouble began with a short clip from the French online show The Bridge. Asked about internet memes of himself, Mbappé said the funniest one showed his face on "some guy" he believed to be a Chinese dictator. The image was widely understood as a reference to Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China.

Mbappé has long been nicknamed "The Dictator" by fans, which explains why the meme exists. He did not name Mao in the clip.

The clip spread on Chinese social media on Monday, October 26. By the next day, according to AFP, at least two major Chinese brands had dropped him. Spanish media report that a third sponsor left as well.

Sponsors, Broadcasters and a Chain of Apologies

China Media Group, which oversees state broadcaster CCTV, announced it was suspending La Liga broadcasts. It said it had made the decision on Monday, before any apology was offered. The Paper, a state-run outlet, also reported that ads featuring Mbappé had been removed.

The pressure worked quickly. La Liga president Javier Tebas apologized on Tuesday. Mbappé followed with a statement in French, Chinese and English, calling his comment "ill-judged" and saying he now understood that it had hurt many people in China.

Real Madrid at first suggested that a player was entitled to a personal opinion. China Media Group rejected that position and demanded a formal apology. On Wednesday, the club gave one, saying it apologized to the Chinese people and joined Mbappé's statement.

China's Foreign Ministry said it took the apology "seriously." CCTV said it would also watch what Mbappé does next. How far the broadcast ban actually reaches is still unclear, since AFP noted that weekend La Liga matches remained on CCTV's online schedule.

The View of Someone Who Lived It

Xi Van Fleet, a Chinese-American author and anti-communist activist, spoke to Fox Business on Thursday. She grew up in China during Mao's Cultural Revolution (the violent political campaign of 1966–1976).

Her first point is that most people in China never saw the original clip. They were only told that Mbappé had insulted China. With no free press and no free speech, she says, ordinary citizens cannot check what really happened.

Her second point is about the word "dictator." She calls it too mild for Mao and describes him as a tyrant and mass murderer. She says everyone of her generation knew someone who died because of his rule. She puts the death toll at up to 80 million people.

She also says Mbappé should have stood by his words. Her advice, as she put it, is to learn who Mao was and then stand by what you said.

What the Historians Say

Her 80 million figure is at the high end of public estimates for Mao's entire rule, and counts differ widely. The best-documented single disaster is the Great Leap Forward, Mao's failed attempt to industrialize China between 1958 and 1962.

Historian Frank Dikötter used newly opened Chinese archives and concluded that at least 45 million people died in that period alone. Earlier estimates, based on census data, ranged from roughly 20 to 30 million. Many of the dead starved, and Dikötter found that millions were also beaten, tortured or worked to death.

Foreign Affairs reviewer Andrew Nathan, a Columbia University China scholar, described Dikötter's work as careful archival research. He also noted that the Chinese government still treats this history as too uncomfortable to face openly.

Why Business Is Not Backing Away From the Money

The sums involved explain the speed of the apologies. According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, Real Madrid earns between 10 and 15 percent of its jersey and merchandise sales in China. Mbappé's face has appeared in Chinese ads from subway stations to elevators.

There is also a warning from the past. The NBA was removed from CCTV for more than a year after a team executive voiced support for Hong Kong protesters in 2019. Athletes and leagues that touch Taiwan, Tibet or Hong Kong have faced similar punishment.

The pattern is familiar: criticism, or even a joke, leads to a commercial penalty, which leads to a public apology. Apologies do not guarantee that the money returns. On Weibo, some users said they did not accept Mbappé's apology.

Outlook

The immediate question is whether the sponsors and broadcasters will return. Experts quoted by AFP say the road back could be long, and no brand has announced it is coming back.

The wider question is bigger than one footballer. If a laugh at a meme can end a broadcast deal, global sports organizations must decide how much of their freedom they are willing to trade for access to the Chinese market.

.

Sources

1. AFP via Al Jazeera, "Kylian Mbappe apologises after 'dictator' comment angers Chinese fans": https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/10/27/kylian-mbappe-apologises-after-dictator-comment-angers-chinese-fans
2. AFP via New Straits Times, "Mbappe says sorry after Mao Zedong joke sparks China brand boycott": https://www.nst.com.my/amp/sports/football/2026/10/1564955/mbappe-says-sorry-after-mao-zedong-joke-sparks-china-brand-boycott
3. AFP via ARY News, "Mbappe apologises for Mao Zedong comment": https://arynews.tv/mbappe-apologises-for-mao-zedong-comment
4. AP via ABC News, "China takes Mbappé apology 'seriously' after backlash over 'Chinese dictator' remark": https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/china-takes-mbapps-apology-after-backlash-chinese-dictator-137633422
5. AP via News4JAX, "Real Madrid issues public apology to China over Mbappé's Mao Zedong comments": https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2026/10/28/real-madrid-issues-public-apology-to-china-over-mbappes-mao-zedong-comments/
6. CBS Sports, "Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe apologizes after Mao meme comments": https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/real-madrid-kylian-mbappe-apologizes-after-mao-comments-and-backlash-in-china/
7. The Standard (Hong Kong), "Mbappe seeks to defuse China anger after 'ill-judged' Mao meme comments": https://www.thestandard.com.hk/world/article/346681/Mbappe-seeks-to-defuse-China-anger-after-ill-judged-Mao-meme-comments
8. AFP via Express Tribune, "Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga face long road to redemption in China": https://tribune.com.pk/story/2637553/mbappe-real-madrid-and-la-liga-face-long-road-to-redemption-in-china
9. Marketing Directo, "China saca tarjeta roja a Mbappé": https://www.marketingdirecto.com/anunciantes-general/china-saca-tarjeta-roja-mbappe-tres-sponsors-dan-espalda-tv-estatal-china-deja-emitir-laliga
10. Foreign Affairs, review of Frank Dikötter's Mao's Great Famine (Andrew J. Nathan): https://www.foreignaffairs.com/node/1083209
11. The Independent, "Mao's Great Leap Forward 'killed 45 million in four years'": https://frankdikotter.com/interviews/interviews-4.html
12. Fox News / OutKick, interview with Xi Van Fleet: https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/survivor-maos-cultural-revolution-speaks-kylian-mbappe-fallout-china-laughed-meme

.