Real Madrid Apologise to China After Mbappé’s Mao Zedong ‘Dictator’ Remark Sparks Backlash
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Real Madrid have issued an official apology to China following controversy surrounding comments by Kylian Mbappé about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, as the fallout threatens the forward’s commercial partnerships and the club’s visibility in the Chinese market.
The Spanish giants released a statement on Wednesday, October 28, expressing regret over the French striker’s remarks and reaffirming their respect for China, its history, culture and citizens.
Real Madrid Issue Official Statement
The club said it wished to apologise to the Chinese people for any discomfort caused by Mbappé’s recent words.
Real Madrid also acknowledged the affection shown towards the club by millions of Chinese supporters and said it hoped to strengthen its relationships with the country.
The statement followed mounting criticism after Mbappé’s comments circulated online, putting one of football’s biggest clubs under pressure to address the controversy.
What Did Mbappé Say About Mao Zedong?
The incident originated in a video from a French podcast interview that was subsequently taken down. Mbappé was discussing an internet meme featuring his face edited onto the image of a political leader.
In the clip, he appeared to describe the person in the image as a Chinese dictator, an apparent reference to Mao Zedong, who founded the People’s Republic of China and led the country from 1949 until his death in 1976. The remark triggered criticism in China, where public satire involving Mao remains particularly sensitive.
Mbappé subsequently apologised, describing his comment as ill-judged and acknowledging that it had hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world.
Chinese Sponsors End Partnerships
The controversy has already produced commercial consequences for the Real Madrid forward.
Chinese companies, including beverage maker Dongpeng and dairy businesses Mengniu and Milkground, announced that they were ending their commercial relationships with Mbappé.
The repercussions have also extended to Spanish football broadcasts. Chinese state-owned platform Migu was reported to have omitted Real Madrid’s upcoming LaLiga fixture against Racing Santander from its scheduled coverage, leaving the match as the only one of the weekend’s 10 league fixtures not being shown on the platform.
Can the Apology Repair the Damage?
The response highlights the commercial importance of China to international football, where global clubs and star players rely on supporters, sponsors and broadcast partnerships.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has also engaged with the issue, including meeting Chinese ambassador Yao Jing as the league seeks to manage the fallout. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that the authorities took Mbappé’s apology seriously.
For Real Madrid, the priority is now to limit the damage and reassure supporters that the club respects Chinese culture and its audience.
Whether the apology will restore suspended commercial relationships or broadcast coverage remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that a brief comment about an internet meme has developed into a significant public-relations challenge for Mbappé and one of football’s most recognisable clubs.
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