30.10.2026 23:02
Chinese fans burned Kylian Mbappe's jerseys after his remarks about Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China. Posters of the French star, who called Mao Zedong a "dictator," were also damaged.
The remarks made by Real Madrid’s French star Kylian Mbappe about Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China, turned into a huge crisis in the country.
THEY BURNED HIS JERSEYS
After the statements that caused a storm on social media, angry fans burned Mbappe’s jerseys and damaged his posters.
HOW DID THE CRISIS START?
Speaking about humorous content made about him on the internet during a program he attended, Mbappe recalled a video in which his face was added to an image of Mao Zedong with artificial intelligence and described the person in the video as a "Chinese dictator." This statement caused a huge wave of reaction in China.
HIS SPONSORSHIPS WERE CANCELLED
Three giant Chinese brands unilaterally terminated their advertising collaborations and sponsorship agreements with the French footballer. It was claimed that China’s state television CCTV suspended the broadcast of Real Madrid’s LaLiga matches.