Kylian Mbappé loses Chinese endorsement deals over dictator remark
Three Chinese brands ended sponsorship deals with Mbappé after a video showed him calling a Communist leader a dictator.
Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu, and cheese maker Milkground announced Tuesday they were ending agreements with the French footballer. Each company said they oppose any words or actions that hurt national sentiment.
The move followed a video in which Mbappé, asked about his favourite meme of himself, referred to a Chinese dictator and was shown an altered image depicting his face on the body of Mao Zedong, Communist China's founding leader.
Fans online jokingly call the Real Madrid star a dictator as a meme about his dominance over teammates and entire teams. Platform RedNote also removed promotional materials and ended its partnership with Mbappé from 2024.
The hashtags about brand partnerships ending topped Weibo's trending list, with some users expressing anger at his remarks.
- Three (Dongpeng, Mengniu, Milkground)
- Brands ending deals
- 2024
- RedNote partnership end
- Tuesday
- Announcement date
Why it mattersHigh-profile athletes now face rapid commercial consequences for cultural and political remarks, even unintended ones, across global markets.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, but highlights how cultural and political sensitivities can trigger rapid global sponsorship losses.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 h ago
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