Kylian Mbappé Suffers Fresh Setback Hours After Losing Ballon d'Or to Harry Kane
- Several Chinese brands cut ties with Kylian Mbappé after a clip surfaced of the Real Madrid forward making comments about a Mao Zedong meme
- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reportedly suspended its coverage of La Liga matches in response to the growing backlash
- The controversy emerged just hours after Mbappé finished behind Harry Kane in the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or
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Kylian Mbappé is facing mounting commercial and reputational pressure after several Chinese brands terminated their partnerships with the Real Madrid forward, following a controversy surrounding comments he made about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
The backlash was triggered by footage circulating online from The Bridge, a French talk show hosted by Mbappé's Real Madrid teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni.
In the clip, Mbappé is seen discussing a meme in which his likeness had been edited onto an image of Mao, referring to the figure as a Chinese dictator without mentioning the former leader by name. AFP Fact Check has not independently verified the authenticity of the footage.
Source: Getty Images
Chinese brands cut ties with Mbappé
The commercial fallout moved quickly.
According to the BBC, beverage company Dongpeng and dairy producer Mengniu both announced the end of their agreements with the France captain, stating that his conduct was offensive to Chinese national sentiment.
Cheese producer Milkground was also reported to have severed its cooperation with Mbappé.
The controversy simultaneously fuelled calls on Chinese social media for a broader boycott of both the player and Real Madrid.
Adding to the commercial damage, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV suspended its coverage of La Liga fixtures amid the uproar, a significant blow given the size and value of the Chinese football audience.
La Liga issues apology to Chinese fans
Meanwhile, La Liga has moved swiftly to distance itself from the remarks, releasing a statement on X expressing regret over the offence caused to Chinese supporters.
The Spanish league emphasised that Mbappé's comments were made in a personal capacity and did not reflect the views of the organisation.
La Liga also said it was actively working with its partners in China to manage the situation and restore goodwill.
Below is the post from La Liga, as shared on X:
The timing of the controversy compounds what has already been a difficult stretch for the forward.
The sponsorship fallout emerged just hours after Mbappé was beaten to the 2026 Ballon d'Or by Harry Kane, turning what was already a disappointing milestone into the backdrop of a widening off-field crisis.
How Mbappé lost the Ballon d'Or to Kane
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia has addressed the voting process behind Harry Kane’s 2026 Ballon d’Or triumph.
Garcia revealed that Kane’s contest with Kylian Mbappé was closely fought, with only a narrow margin separating the two during the vote.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
