Major Chinese brands have terminated their commercial deals with French football star Kylian Mbappé, while broadcasts of Spain’s La Liga have been suspended in China following a joke by the Real Madrid forward about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong that went viral online.

Mbappé said in an interview that the funniest meme he had seen involving “his head” was one depicting him as a “Chinese dictator”. The video, posted on Reddit, features an image of the footballer’s face superimposed on what appears to be Mao Zedong.

The comments made by the France captain have sparked widespread controversy in China, particularly on social media platforms such as Weibo, prompting several companies to terminate their contracts with the player or publicly distance themselves from him.

“With immediate effect, our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé,” Mengniu, one of China’s largest dairy companies, said on Weibo. The company added that it “firmly opposes and has zero tolerance for any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”.

Beverage manufacturer Dongpeng was another brand to end its relationship with Mbappé, who has since apologised for his “inappropriate” comment.

La Liga also said it deeply regretted the “distress and offence” caused by the footballer’s remarks. “We understand the harm caused and, on behalf of La Liga, would like to offer our sincere apologies to the Chinese people,” the league’s president, Javier Tebas, said.

La Liga has spent many years building a “relationship of respect and trust” with China, Tebas added, stressing that “we cannot allow the actions of one individual to tarnish this relationship”.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV has suspended broadcasts of the Spanish league and matches involving the Real Madrid forward.

The controversy also prompted a response from the Chinese government. The country’s Foreign Ministry said it had “taken note” of reports about the footballer’s comments.

“Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face unanimous opposition from all sectors of Chinese society,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

Online jokes portraying Mbappé as a dictator date back to a 2024 legal dispute with a kebab shop in Marseille that had been using his name.

During the 2026 World Cup, the French striker was given the nickname “Mobut” by France team-mate Ousmane Dembélé, a reference to Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as Zaire, for more than three decades.

China accounts for between 10% and 15% of international merchandise sales, and Mbappé’s shirt is the best-selling item, highlighting the potential commercial impact of the controversy.