Mbappe loses Chinese sponsors over Mao remarks

French national team captain Kylian Mbappe apologized to the Chinese people after his comments about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong drew strong backlash. In a video that appeared on a French podcast and was later taken down, Mbappe discussed a humorous image that merged his face with that of a Chinese dictator. The leader in question was Mao, who founded the People's Republic of China in 1949 and ruled the country until his death in 1976.

The footballer said in a statement that his comment was inappropriate and that he understood it had hurt many people in China and among Chinese communities around the world. He stressed that he had never intended to offend anyone and apologized to everyone who was upset by his words.

As reactions grew on Chinese social media, three Chinese companies, Mengniu, Shanghai Milkground Food Tech and Eastroc Beverage, announced that they had immediately ended their partnerships with Mbappe. The companies said they have zero tolerance for any words or actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people.

According to a report in the state-linked newspaper The Paper, CCTV stopped broadcasting La Liga and all matches and events featuring Mbappe. It was also reported that the footballer's advertisements had been removed.

Terrence Burns, a sports sponsorship expert and CEO of T. Burns Sports Group, said the incident showed the importance of athletes understanding the markets in which they operate. Burns said Mbappe's team should know the true cost of agreements with Chinese brands.