Mbappe boycotted in China due to a meme: sponsors cancel partnerships

French football star Kylian Mbappe's joke about an internet meme featuring former Chinese leader Mao Zedong has sparked sharp backlash in the country. After the video spread on social media, several major Chinese companies canceled their partnerships with the player.

The issue concerns a joke Mbappe made during a conversation about a meme featuring himself. In it, the footballer said he found a meme where his face was superimposed on an image of a person described as a Chinese dictator to be the funniest. Once it was understood that this image referred to Mao Zedong, criticism on Chinese social media intensified.

As a result, companies such as Dongpeng, Mengniu, and Milkground announced that they have terminated their partnerships with Mbappe. It was also reported that the ability to add new followers to some of the player's Chinese social media pages has been restricted. There have also been reports that Chinese state television has temporarily suspended the broadcast of La Liga matches.

On October 27, Mbappe acknowledged that his comment was inappropriate and apologized to the Chinese people and everyone offended by his words. The footballer stated that he had no intention of causing such a reaction and that he respects the Chinese people and their history.

Thus, a single joke on the internet has affected the famous footballer's commercial partnerships in China.