ALBAWABA - French footballer Kylian Mbappe stirred controversy in China after a widely circulated video showed him saying that his favorite meme is "the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator (Mao Zedong)."
As the video flooded social media, Chinese brands, including Dongpeng Beverage Group, ended their partnerships with the Real Madrid forward. The company said it has a "zero tolerance policy" for views that hurt China's national sentiments. Mbappe was the face of Bushuila, Dongpeng's electrolyte drink, before the company dropped him.
Moreover, other companies such as football platform Dongqiudi and dairy producer Mengniu also condemned Mbappe's comments in a recent interview with French talk show The Bridge, saying that they "hurt the feelings of China and the Chinese people."
He said during the interview, "The meme that makes me laugh the most...the one where there's a video of a guy, I think it's a Chinese dictator. I use it with my friends all the time."
🚨 JUST IN: Chinese beverage company DongPeng have ended their sponsorship with Kylian Mbappé after he referred to former Chinese Premier Mao Zedong as a “dictator”.
The company have said they have “zero tolerance” for statements that hurt their national sentiment. @marca https://t.co/4nnA9fMaCJ
While very popular in China, Mbappe faced huge backlash from netizens as they accused him of "profiting from the Chinese market yet making remarks that offend the Chinese public," according to the BBC.
Another user wrote on Weibo, "International public figures, in particular, should show greater respect and sensitivity, as national sentiment must never be taken lightly."
The Real Madrid forward is also known as "the dictator" among fans for his massive influence and control over football clubs and fellow teammates. His behaviour also inspired the viral anthem "Kylian Mbappe Dictador." It first surfaced on TikTok in April 2026, and the trend grew even more during the most recent World Cup.
The nickname, which became the subject of many memes, also comes from when Mbappe sued a French influencer and a kebab shop owner in 2024 for using his name in one of the restaurant's sandwich descriptions.
A content creator/ writer by day and an artist by night. Khaled S. has a passion for all things entertainment including film, video games, and anime.
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