2026-10-30
After Mbappe became embroiled in a controversy over 'insulting China' due to a Mao Zedong meme, some Douyin users created a 'Mbappe on Sports Hydration' meme modeled after the cover of 'Xi Jinping: The Governance of China', accompanied by 'anti-Mao' music, with the comment section using famine memes to mock Mao Zedong.
2026-10-30
On October 30, the comment section of a Douyin post for the 'Hydrate-La' (Bu Shui La) drink endorsed by Mbappe saw comments supporting Mbappe and questioning the boycott, such as 'I'll hate whoever you tell me to' and 'Who should I hate today?'. Other netizens changed the product name to 'Hydrate-Lard' (Bu Shui La) as a satirical jab.
2026-10-30
On October 30, The Diplomat published a commentary noting that after Kylian Mbappé referred to Mao Zedong as a dictator, he, Real Madrid, and La Liga issued successive apologies. This demonstrates that commercial pressure from the Chinese market is constraining overseas speech, and companies may be proactively enforcing political boundaries.
2026-10-29
CCTV publicly criticized Real Madrid captain Kylian Mbappé over an incident involving malicious anti-China memes, accusing the club of allowing offensive content and demanding an explanation from Real Madrid.
2026-10-29
French football star Kylian Mbappé called Mao Zedong a dictator, stating that he caused tens of millions of deaths and that his regime was totalitarian in nature. French public opinion views this as a statement of fact rather than a personal opinion.
[Follow-up · October 28, 2026] On the evening of October 28, Marine Tondelier, National Secretary of the French Green Party, posted on X, stating that Mbappé's characterization of Mao Zedong as a dictator is historically grounded, and criticized France's repeated submission to China's economic pressure as a sign of weakness.
2026-10-29
On October 29, Philippe Diallo, President of the French Football Federation, addressed the controversy surrounding Kylian Mbappe regarding China, stating that he does not believe Mbappe intended to damage the image of Chinese leaders or offend the Chinese people. He noted that Mbappe has apologized and the controversy should end here.
2026-10-29
On October 29, Manu Carreño, host of the Spanish sports program ElDesmarque, commented on the Mbappé controversy, stating, "How much longer will they continue to bow down to China because of that comment by Mbappé? He didn't even lie."
2026-10-29
On October 29, the Spanish newspaper El País published a signed commentary titled "China's Crusade Against Mbappé and Winnie the Pooh," mocking Mbappé, Real Madrid, and La Liga for their successive apologies under pressure from the Chinese market, and juxtaposing the controversy with the past censorship of Winnie the Pooh for being compared to Xi Jinping.
2026-10-29
On October 29, the Weibo topic "Mbappé-endorsed drink sees zero sales in a single day" reached number two on the trending list. Guangdong Radio and Television reported that a merchant in Guangzhou claimed the drink had zero sales for the day, while netizens in the comments section posted photos to refute the claim, stating they were still purchasing it.
2026-10-28
Real Madrid CF has officially issued an apology in French and Chinese regarding remarks related to Mbappé.
2026-10-28
The creator of the Mbappé-Mao Zedong meme was interviewed by the French magazine 'So Foot', lamenting that they originally just wanted to make a meme to amuse friends, never expecting it to develop to this point.
2026-10-28
After Mbappé, La Liga and La Liga President Javier each apologized over the “Chinese dictator” incident, the X platform added the note “Mao Zedong was indeed a dictator” beneath each apology post.
2026-10-28
On October 28, CCTV's Youth Sports Center stated that Mbappé's out-of-line remarks hurt the Chinese people, crossed the bottom line, and exceeded the bounds of freedom of speech, saying Real Madrid cannot shirk responsibility, that it does not accept his explanation, and that nothing will be discussed until a proper apology is made.
2026-10-28
On October 28, as the controversy surrounding Mbappe's remarks continues to escalate, major Chinese e-commerce platforms have begun removing Mbappe-related products.
2026-10-28
On October 28, netizens discovered that Migu had scheduled broadcasts for 9 out of 10 La Liga matches this weekend. The only one not listed was the November 1 match between Real Madrid and Racing Santander, suspected to be related to the controversy over Kylian Mbappé's Mao Zedong meme.
2026-10-28
According to Reuters, following the controversy over Kylian Mbappé's Mao Zedong meme, La Liga has established a crisis team and contacted Real Madrid. President Javier Tebas is considering a trip to China in an attempt to prevent the incident from causing massive economic losses to Spanish football.
2026-10-28
Reuters reported on October 28 that Kylian Mbappé is facing contract terminations from sponsors and condemnation from state media in China for calling Mao Zedong a dictator. His original remarks are largely inaccessible on the Chinese internet, with sports analysts describing the backlash as a manufactured outrage.
2026-10-28
On October 28, netizens discovered that following the controversy over China-related remarks by Real Madrid star Mbappé, the official Weibo comment section of Real Madrid sponsor Hisense was flooded by large numbers of netizens demanding that it terminate its contract with Real Madrid. Hisense TV's official Weibo subsequently activated comment selection and one-click protection features.
2026-10-28
On October 28, comments supporting Mbappé appeared in the comment sections of multiple videos related to him on Douyin. Some praised him for "loving to tell the truth," while others questioned why there were only condemnations without seeing the original controversial remarks.
2026-10-27
Chengdu Yuefa Business Information Consulting Co., Ltd. issued a statement supporting Mbappé and decided to purchase ten boxes of the endorsed products to give away free to the public; the company's legal representative posted the business license.
2026-10-27
On October 27, China News Service published an original commentary titled "Mbappe, Pui!" harshly criticizing French football star Kylian Mbappé for his remarks regarding China. The commentary was subsequently retracted.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Mbappé posted a statement in French, Chinese and English on his personal account, saying his comments were "inappropriate," that he now understood they had hurt many people in China, apologizing to everyone hurt by his remarks, and expressing "deep respect" for the Chinese people and Chinese history. The statement garnered over 10 million views within about two hours of being posted on X, and many Chinese netizens said in the comments that he had no need to apologize.
2026-10-27
After Mbappé's remarks prompted netizens to urge brands to state their position and terminate contracts, as of 1 a.m. on October 27, Mengniu and Dongpeng had deleted all Weibo posts related to Mbappé.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Mbappé's remarks calling Mao Zedong "China's dictator" sparked controversy. Milkground took down his endorsement promotional content, and Swiss sportswear brand On's official Weibo account in China also deleted related content, but On's overseas official website still retains the collaboration feature.
2026-10-27
On the morning of October 27, Eastroc Beverage Group and its brand 'Bushuila' issued identical statements on their official Weibo accounts, stating that they 'firmly oppose and have zero tolerance for actions that hurt national sentiment,' and have terminated all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé effective immediately. Eastroc had only just announced Mbappé as the brand ambassador for 'Bushuila' in April; Eastroc's A-shares fell by more than 4% during the day.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Mengniu Dairy and its subsidiary Milkground were reported to have issued a statement on their official Weibo accounts saying they "resolutely oppose and have zero tolerance for any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," terminating all cooperation with Mbappé effective immediately. The two companies had already cleared out promotional materials related to Mbappé on the night of the 26th.
2026-10-27
On the afternoon of October 27, Mbappé's Weibo and Xiaohongshu accounts were banned, and Xiaohongshu also prevented other users from following his account; the Xiaohongshu account showed "violating community rules" and could not post.
2026-10-27
At around 16:00 on October 27, the Global Times published a quick commentary titled "Mbappé Is Done For, and He Deserves It," saying it believes the list of terminated contracts will gradually grow longer until all of Mbappé's cooperation related to China is completely zeroed out, and warning that anyone who "disrespects China" should not expect to earn a single cent from the Chinese market. The full text did not restate Mbappé's specific remarks, nor did it contain the words "Mao Zedong" or "dictator."
2026-10-27
On October 27, the Party media Guangming Daily posted a video on Douyin criticizing Mbappé, saying “insulting China’s late great leader will not be tolerated,” with the caption “Eating China’s food, smashing China’s pot? Mbappé, unworthy!” In the comments section, some netizens threatened to “offer 1 million to buy his legs” and to “issue a global wanted notice right away.”
2026-10-27
At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 27, an AFP reporter asked about Kylian Mbappé having his contracts terminated by several Chinese companies due to a video circulating online. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun replied that "words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be jointly boycotted by all sectors of Chinese society," without responding to the content of the video.
2026-10-27
On October 27, the Chinese Football Association demanded a formal public apology from the player involved and Real Madrid; elDiario reported that the CFA had contacted Real Madrid, asking the club to issue a formal public apology. As of the writing of multiple reports, Real Madrid had made no public statement.
2026-10-27
On October 27, LaLiga issued a statement saying it "deeply regrets" the offense caused by Mbappé's remarks among Chinese fans, that the words were spoken by him in a personal capacity and do not represent LaLiga; the league apologized on behalf of itself and all its clubs, and said it would establish codes of communication for players and clubs. elDiario said the statement was revised after being published at noon, with Tebas changing the apology's addressee to "Chinese fans."
2026-10-27
On the afternoon of October 27, after Tebas sent a letter to CMG condemning Mbappé and apologizing, the head of China Media Group replied, saying "apologize first, or there is nothing to discuss," demanding that La Liga, Real Madrid, and especially Mbappé himself issue a public apology as soon as possible, calling this a "basic premise."
2026-10-27
On the evening of October 27, relevant personnel from China Media Group (CCTV) responded to Kylian Mbappe's apology, stating they have noted the information and that "we listen to his words but watch his actions." They hope La Liga, Real Madrid, and Mbappe himself will learn a lesson from this, offer a sincere apology, and truly repent. As of press time, there has been no news of CCTV resuming the broadcast of La Liga matches.
2026-10-27
Hours after Mbappé's apology, the US House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party issued a statement on X, saying that Mbappé should not apologize for calling Mao Zedong a dictator, and stating that "Mao Zedong was indeed a dictator" and that the harm done to the Chinese people was far more serious than the remarks of a football player.
2026-10-27
On October 27, France's TF1 reported on the backlash in China against Mbappé after he called Mao Zedong a dictator, which forced him to apologize. The presenter said this is a fact accepted by historians, citing historians' estimates that Mao Zedong's repression caused at least 40 million deaths.
2026-10-27
On the evening of October 27, the French talk show The Bridge issued a bilingual French-English statement on Instagram, saying that the relevant video was behind-the-scenes footage recorded in April this year and published on October 26, and apologizing to Mbappé, his partners, and institutions that could affect relations with China over the controversy sparked by Mbappé's remarks about memes.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Tencent's FC ONLINE and FC Football World announced the launch of the removal of Mbappé-related player materials from external channels, while in-game content will be adjusted through a version update.
2026-10-27
On October 27, a Weibo blogger posted about Mbappé's Mao Zedong meme, saying it "mocked the great historical figures of other countries" and arguing that humor must not offend the feelings of other peoples. In the comments section, a Hong Kong netizen questioned why Mbappé's original words could not be clearly stated, and was attacked by mainland netizens with remarks such as "what IP do you have, what internet are you using."
2026-10-27
On October 27, netizens said that football blogger Wang Chuqi, who had just held his wedding, deleted multiple videos related to Mbappé across platforms overnight.此前 Mbappé had said in an interview that the meme character photoshopped onto Mao Zedong's face was "the Chinese dictator."
2026-10-27
On October 27, Xiaohongshu issued a statement on Weibo regarding the Mbappé controversy, saying that the content collaboration had expired and ended on December 31, 2024, and that the platform is continuously checking and taking down related materials, adding that it firmly opposes acts that hurt national feelings.
2026-10-27
In an advertisement at the Xujiahui metro station in Shanghai, Mbappé's face was covered. Netizens photographed and exposed it, suspecting it was related to censorship.
2026-10-27
On the afternoon of October 27, Beijing time, La Liga chairman Tebas replied to the head of CCTV's headquarters, condemning Mbappé's behavior and apologizing, calling it "an unacceptable behavior that does not represent the values of our competition or Spanish football," and saying that appropriate measures are being taken to handle it.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Hupu's "2026 Ballon d'Or Ranking" rating page removed Mbappé's entry, so that directly after first-place Kane came third-place Yamal. Mbappé finished second in the Ballon d'Or that evening.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Dongqiudi released the full 2026 Ballon d'Or ranking, in which second-place finisher Mbappé was labeled "no such person found," sparking heated discussion among netizens. Yahoo Sports said Dongqiudi erased Mbappé's name from its Ballon d'Or ranking.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Dahe Daily reported that the CCTV News Weibo account and CCTV.com had taken down coverage related to Mbappé, accusing him of enjoying the dividends of the Chinese market while “biting the hand that feeds him.”
2026-10-27
On October 27, the Mbappé controversy made it onto BFMTV, one of France's highest-rated news channels, which reported that the satirical allusion was not accepted because remarks touching on politics and cultural history are particularly sensitive in China. (The original BFMTV report could not be found; the information comes from a quote by an X account.)
2026-10-27
Around October 27, commentator Li Chengpeng wrote on X, “Mbappé just played a dictator meme; this kind of thing is too common in the US and Europe.”
2026-10-27
On October 27, netizens found that "Bushuila" drink advertisements featuring Mbappé's endorsement image were covered up or urgently taken down in many places across China. Posters at Shanghai metro stations had their headers covered with white paper tape, some merchants peeled off portrait labels from bottles, and officials gave no explanation.
2026-10-27
On October 27, fans of Mbappé announced a collective departure from the fandom and burned his jerseys to express their dissatisfaction.
2026-10-26
The French talk show The Bridge released behind-the-scenes footage recorded in April of this year, which subsequently triggered accusations from domestic platforms like Dongqiudi that Mbappé made remarks hurting the feelings of the Chinese people.
2026-10-26
From the evening of October 26, China Media Group halted broadcasts of La Liga matches, all games involving Mbappé, and advertisements featuring him. The trigger was Mbappé saying "Chinese dictator" during an interview when discussing face-swap memes of Mao Zedong.
2026-10-26
On October 26, while China Media Group of China Central Television halted broadcasts of La Liga and matches involving Mbappé, the head of China Media Group sent a letter to La Liga president Tebas, demanding that Real Madrid and Mbappé himself immediately make a public and sincere apology, eliminate the adverse impact, and submit a written apology letter to China Media Group.
2026-10-26
Since October 26, clips of Mbappé's interview on the French online program The Bridge have circulated widely on Reddit, X, and Threads. Voice of America reported that when asked about the funniest meme, he said it was one putting his face on a photo of a "Chinese dictator"; later in the program a composite image of him with Mao Zedong was edited in. Multiple media outlets said the interview was recorded in April, and AFP Fact Check said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the video for now.
2026-10-26
After Mbappé's remarks drew attention, Dongqiudi issued a statement saying the relevant comments involved harm to China and the Chinese people and would not be translated, and called on fans to watch matches rationally and avoid crossing the line.
2026-10-26
After the interview sparked controversy, the program The Bridge pulled the video of Mbappé's face-swap meme about Mao Zedong from its social media accounts without explanation. elDiario said the video can still be seen in reposts on Reddit and other media; ABC said the original clip can no longer be found on its YouTube channel.
2026-09-11
In September 2026, Mbappé addressed the “Dictator Mbappé” meme for the first time in an interview with France Football, saying that such images can sometimes be funny, but that comparing him to rulers responsible for millions of deaths goes too far, and that this sometimes reflects people’s “lack of political and humanitarian awareness.” The figures involved in the memes include Kim Jong-un, Mao Zedong, Stalin, and Mobutu.
2026-07
Before the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, Messi and Mbappé each scored 8 goals to share the lead in the scoring charts, followed closely by Kane and Bellingham with 6 goals each.
2026-04
In an interview on the French web show The Bridge (hosted by his Real Madrid teammate Tchouaméni), Mbappé was asked about the funniest meme of himself. He said it was the one where someone put his face onto a photo of “a Chinese dictator,” adding that he often sends it to friends while playing video games. The show later edited in a composite image of him and Mao Zedong. Multiple media outlets report that the interview was recorded in April this year, and clips spread on platforms such as Reddit and X starting October 26.
2026-03-23
On March 23, 2026, TikTok user @life_of_marvel_shocker posted an edit turning Mbappé into a dictator, which drew more than 13.2 million views within about two weeks. Know Your Meme said the video drove the “Dictator Mbappé” meme into wide circulation around April.
2024-11-17
According to Know Your Meme, Reddit user TheSefi76 posted an edited image of Mbappé turned into Mao Zedong in the r/soccercirclejerk subreddit, and the site identifies it as the earliest known "Dictator Mbappé" image. Since then, the practice of face-swapping Mbappé with figures such as Mao Zedong, Kim Jong-un, Stalin, and Mobutu has gradually become a staple gag among football fans.
2024-03
In March 2024, Kylian Mbappe's lawyer sent a letter to French influencer Mohamed Henni for naming a kebab dish after him. Henni publicly responded, claiming Mbappe had turned his own name into a 'dictatorship.' Both Know Your Meme and Yahoo Sports identified this incident as the starting point for the 'Dictator Mbappe' meme.
2024
Mbappé's face was photoshopped onto a portrait of Mao Zedong by a Reddit user. The meme began to circulate among Chinese football fans and evolved into a series of parody images featuring Stalin, Kim Jong-un, and others.
2023-08-18
On August 18, 2023, France's 20 Minutes reported on a parody video that face-swapped Mbappé with Mao Zedong and set it to the red song "The Sun in the Sky Is Red"; the meme originated as fans' satire of his outsized influence within the team.