Spain · Full chronicle and history

On October 31, Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho responded at a pre-match press conference to the controversy surrounding Mbappe's use of a Mao Zedong emoji. He acknowledged the swift apology from both Mbappe and the club, stating that the club has done what it needed to do and the matter is now closed.

In a clip from the October 31st episode of the program 'La Roca' on the Spanish TV channel laSexta, writer Juan del Val discussed the boycott against Kylian Mbappé sparked by a Mao Zedong meme. He stated bluntly that Mao Zedong was not only a dictator but also a murderer, and added that it would not matter if his contracts in China were cancelled.

On the evening of October 30, the Chinese Embassy in Spain issued a statement opposing the motion related to Xinjiang passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Catalonia, Spain. The embassy described the motion as full of absurdities and a gross interference in China's internal affairs, expressing strong indignation and firm opposition.

On October 30, Spanish media including '20 Minutos' reported that former Chinese national football team coach Camacho, while discussing the Mbappe controversy on COPE radio, stated that the Chinese side always demanded he adapt to their rules and ways of doing things, believing they are the masters of the world in all aspects.

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."

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.

Real Madrid CF has officially issued an apology in French and Chinese regarding remarks related to Mbappé.

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.

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."

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."

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.

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.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly criticized the United States, saying it had repeated the mistakes of its intervention in Iraq 20 years ago on the issue of Iran, and accusing it of trampling on international law. Sánchez said Spain had naively believed that the U.S., as an ally, would not make the same mistake again.

On September 29, French President Macron, while meeting with students in Madrid, Spain, said that subsidies received by Chinese companies reach 8 times the OECD average and are undermining Europe's industrial base, that Europe had been too naive in the past, and advocated using trade safeguard measures to maintain fair competition, while also affirming China's post-pandemic innovation achievements.

The Global Times named Real Madrid, demanding that it delete the relevant post, apologize to the Chinese public, and change the wording to "China's Tibet".

Ford and Geely reached a cooperation deal to establish a joint venture in Spain, with Ford holding 66% and Geely holding 34%, using Ford's local plant to produce models for the European market.

Real Madrid held a minute of silence on the pitch to mourn the victims of the flood on the "Nepal and Tibet border," a phrasing that subsequently sparked controversy on the Chinese internet.

On August 30, 2026, Spain's Real Madrid football club observed a moment of silence for flood victims at its home stadium and posted a tribute on social media, sparking a sovereignty controversy on the Chinese internet because it described the disaster area as Nepal and Tibet rather than China's Tibet.

On August 30, 2026, Real Madrid observed a moment of silence at the stadium and on social media for the floods in Tibet and Nepal, sparking a sovereignty controversy in China because the English used "Tibet" rather than "China's Xizang".

Interior ministers of EU member states held a video conference to discuss the large-scale migration crossing incident in Ceuta and endorsed the response measures taken by the Spanish government.

Large numbers of migrants have crossed the border into Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa. The Spanish Minister of the Interior stated that a total of 72,000 people entered, of whom approximately 70,000 have already left.

Spain's World Cup champion team returned to Madrid and received a hero's welcome from fans and the public.

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium to win their second FIFA World Cup title.

During the NATO summit, U.S. President Trump criticized Spain for refusing to provide military bases for U.S. operations against Iran and instructed the Treasury Secretary to cut ties with Spain. He also reiterated that Greenland should be managed by the U.S., arguing that the defense security provided by Denmark is insufficient.