Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé has come under fire following a controversial comment in which he referred to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a “dictator” while discussing memes.

The controversy stems from a video on The Bridge, in which Mbappé joked about an edited image depicting him as Mao Zedong, referring to the former Chinese leader as a “Chinese dictator” without directly naming him.

“My favourite Mbappé meme? The one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator (Mao Zedong). That really makes me laugh; I use it with my friends all the time,” he said.

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The comment reportedly angered Chinese authorities and companies, which took issue with the description of their former leader, who played a pivotal role in the country’s history.

Chinese beverage company DongPeng ended its sponsorship deal with Mbappé after he referred to Mao Zedong as a “dictator”. Various Chinese media outlets also reportedly announced plans to terminate their broadcasts of La Liga matches in protest against the remarks.

Following the backlash, La Liga president Javier Tebas condemned the comments and apologised for the offence caused, promising to work with Chinese officials to resolve the issue.

“From LALIGA, we deeply regret the statements made by Kylian Mbappé that have caused discomfort and offence 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 are taking the measures within our reach and working directly with our partners and interlocutors in China to overcome this situation,” Tebas said in a statement.

Amid the growing pressure, Mbappé issued an official statement acknowledging the impact of his comments on people in China and Chinese communities worldwide.

He apologised to those offended, explaining that he had not intended to disrespect the former Chinese leader or the Chinese people.

“During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself. 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. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” Mbappé’s statement read.

SB/JKB

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