Mao the Second · Full chronicle and history

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.

Recently, multiple netizens have been selling Mbappe's "original words" as commodities on the second-hand trading platform Xianyu, sparking widespread discussion.

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.

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.

Toutiao published an article explaining the origin of the Mbappe "dictator" meme, mentioning a French barbecue restaurant.

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.

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.

On December 5, netizens discovered that after “Diao Maihu” and “She Japan,” Weibo was also circulating euphemisms for Xi Jinping such as “i in ing,” “she dripping,” “shejumping,” and “skipping,” and that these had already been automatically indexed by the algorithm into search suggestions.

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.

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.