Kylian Mbappe Dropped by Two Major Chinese Brands Over Mao Video
French football star Kylian Mbappe was dropped on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, by two major brands in China after an online video circulated in which the Real Madrid forward apparently joked about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Commercial sponsors Dongpeng Beverage Group and Mengniu terminated their partnerships with immediate effect as public backlash intensified across Chinese social media.
Brands Enforce Zero-Tolerance Policies Following Online Backlash
Drinks giant Dongpeng, known for its “Bushuila” electrolyte drink, announced the immediate cancellation of all cooperation, stating the company maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward behavior offending national sentiments. Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, followed suit shortly after, cutting ties with the 27-year-old France captain. The controversy erupted after a video emerged showing Mbappe stating that a meme superimposing his face onto a Chinese dictator was the funniest he had seen, an apparent reference to Mao Zedong, China’s founding leader who died in 1976. AFP Fact Check reported that the authenticity of the video could not be immediately verified.
The phrase “Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappe” quickly rose to become the top-trending topic on Weibo, where users condemned the remarks. Dongqiudi, a major online football outlet, stated that the comments hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans and the public.
The backlash arrived a day after Mbappe lost the Ballon d’Or award to Harry Kane. In September, Mbappe addressed a previous military dictator meme in an interview with French sports newspaper *L’Equipe*, acknowledging that comparisons to historical figures who caused widespread misery carry heavy weight.
