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France soccer star Kylian Mbappe’s face appears in ads everywhere in China, from subway stations to inside elevators, but now at least three companies are cutting ties with the national team captain, who apparently refers to Communist China’s founding leader Mao Zedong as a dictator.
Drinks maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground said in similar terms on Tuesday that they had suspended contracts with the soccer star, each saying they opposed “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”
The companies did not specify what led to their decision, but released their statement following a clip showing Mbappe being interviewed before going to a French online talk show on X.
In the video, Mbappe is asked about his favorite meme, and the soccer star replies that it’s “someone made a video of a guy… I think he was the Chinese dictator,” before showing an altered image of Mbappe’s face on Mao Zedong’s body in a blue suit.
Soccer fans online have jokingly called the star, who is said to have overshadowed many of his teammates and even the teams he plays for, a dictator, and memes depicting him as Mao or other autocratic leaders have become widespread.
The Associated Press could not immediately reach Mbappe’s representatives for comment.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in response to a question about the dispute that “words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint protest from all sections of Chinese society.”
Social media platform RedNote joined the criticism, saying in a separate statement that the company has a content partnership with Mbappe that ends on December 31, 2024, and will “remove related promotional material”. At the same time, he expressed his opposition to “any behavior that hurts the national mood”.
Mbappe’s RedNote account was banned from accepting new followers on Tuesday.
Mbappe has appeared in advertising campaigns in China for products ranging from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In a commercial for Dongpeng, Mbappe chants in Chinese; In an ad for Mengniu, he appears alongside Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.
There have already been comments on Chinese social media criticizing several soccer stars.
The hashtags “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappe” and “Several brands end partnership with Mbappe” topped Weibo’s trending list. “Football fans boycott Mbappe” also trended, with some users angry at his words or telling him not to come to China.