Mbappé loses Chinese sponsorships over Mao meme

Chinese brands terminate deals with Kylian Mbappé after a video shows him referring to a Mao meme as a Chinese dictator, sparking backlash and apologies.

2 stories142 sourcesUpdated Oct 27, 2026

In this storyline:Kylian Mbappé Mao Zedong Mengniu Dairy

Mbappé loses Chinese sponsorships over Mao meme — Photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Coverage momentum

total articles across this storyline · last 72h

806

articles now

806

peak · 5:00 PM

+1572%

vs. first half

Oct 27, 6 AMdots mark key developments · hover for any hourOct 27, 5 PM

Key developments

Oct 27, 2026
Dongpeng and Mengniu terminated all cooperation with Mbappé after a video showed him calling a Mao meme 'some guy -- I think he's a Chinese dictator'.
126 sources on this →
Oct 27, 2026
Mbappé apologized Oct. 27 after a viral Mao meme clip; Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground ended deals as a related Weibo hashtag hit 430 million views.
28 sources on this →

Coverage across the spectrum

Claim check

What each side asserts, disputes — or leaves out entirely.

Analyzing the coverage…

Stories in this storyline

World

Two Chinese Brands Drop Mbappe Over Mao Clip

Dongpeng and Mengniu terminated all cooperation with Mbappe after a video showed him calling a Mao meme 'some guy -- I think he's a Chinese dictator'.

126 sources

World

Mbappé Apologizes as China Sponsors End Deals

Mbappé apologized Oct. 27 after a viral Mao meme clip; Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground ended deals as a related Weibo hashtag hit 430 million views.

Comments

Ask Genius by OpenServe:

Free account · your comment posts right after signup