Kylian Mbappe has apologised for "ill-judged" comments about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong after a viral meme sparked outrage in China and prompted several brands to cut ties with the Real Madrid forward.The controversy followed an appearance on French talk show The Bridge, where Mbappe laughed while describing a meme that superimposed his face onto an image resembling Mao. Kylian Mbappé referred to Chairman Mao Zedong as a dictator of China, and this morning all brands in China deleted his picture and terminated his contract 🤯 https://t.co/h8U1GTxXwp— yui (@myyangzi) October 27, 2026 The joke plays on the striker's online nickname, "the dictator", reflecting his enormous influence at his former clubs."My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," Mbappe said. "I apologise to everyone my words have upset."La Liga also issued an apology, saying it deeply regretted the offence caused to Chinese fans.##NAJAVA_MECA_10067451##The backlash quickly spread across Chinese social media, with some users calling for a boycott of Mbappe and Real Madrid. Chinese football platform Dongqiudi described the comments as inappropriate, while criticism focused on the striker’s commercial success in China despite remarks perceived as disrespectful.Major sponsors reacted as the controversy escalated. Dairy giant Mengniu and drinks company Dongpeng issued statements condemning behaviour that hurts Chinese national sentiment, although neither explicitly referred to the video.Mbappe sinks Barca as Mourinho drops to his knees in El Clasico ecstasyAccording to state-owned newspaper Global Times, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV would stop featuring Mbappe in its news content, while Chinese media reported that it would also stop showing La Liga matches.China's foreign ministry weighed in, with spokesperson Lin Jian saying that words and actions hurting the feelings of Chinese people would naturally face opposition.