Just hours after losing out to Harry Kane in the 2026 Ballon d'Or race, Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has now issued an official apology to his Chinese fans. The controversy erupted after a video went viral in which Mbappé is heard saying that the funniest meme he had seen of himself was one where his face had been photoshopped onto that of some guy, which he believed to be a dictator.
His comments were believed to be about a meme of Mbappé edited onto an image of Mao Zedong. In China, making satire or jokes about Mao, one of the nation's early leaders who governed from 1949 until he died in 1976, is seen as disrespectful and continues to be a social taboo.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” Mbappé wrote in his statement.
Shortly after, Mbappé issued his apology, La Liga President also shared their apology messages. “From LALIGA, we deeply regret the statements made by Kylian Mbappé that have caused discomfort and offense in China. We understand the harm caused and, on behalf of LALIGA, I wish to convey our sincere apologies to the Chinese people.
For many years, we have built a relationship of respect, trust, and cooperation with China, its authorities, its sports institutions, its audiovisual operators, and millions of fans of Spanish football.
We cannot allow an individual action to tarnish that relationship or harm the more than 20 clubs in our professional competitions and millions of Chinese fans. We are taking the measures within our reach and working directly with our partners and interlocutors in China to overcome this situation. Our commitment to China, its people, and its institutions is steadfast. A relationship built over so many years cannot be damaged by a single episode,” La Liga President Javier Tebas Medrano wrote.
As of now, Mengniu, Shanghai Milkground and Eastroc have ended their cooperation with Mbappé, while China state TV has reportedly halted La Liga and Mbappé broadcasts. (via Daily Star)
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) October 27, 2026