The France captain and global football star came under fierce criticism from Beijing this week after a video circulated in which he referred to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a “dictator.”
Although historians hold Mao responsible for millions of deaths, he remains officially revered in China as the hero of the communist revolution and founder of the People’s Republic of China. Any perceived attack on his legacy is considered an insult.
Since Tuesday, state media and internet users have joined forces to condemn the 27-year-old in what Debby Chan, a senior lecturer at the Australian National University, described as a “spiral of outrage.” This has happened even though Chinese internet users do not have access to Mbappé’s exact remarks.
Meanwhile, major Chinese brands have severed ties with the player, and Spanish top-flight football matches are set to be removed from the schedule of state broadcaster CCTV.
Facing the risk of economic damage, Mbappé, his club and La Liga issued apologies very quickly. A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said the government took Mbappé’s apology “very seriously.”
Read also : Mbappe apologizes for ‘ill-judged’ comment about Mao Zedong
Serious damage
Is the matter now closed? “From an objective and unemotional point of view, this is clearly a very damaging incident,” veteran sports commentator Yan Qiang told AFP.
“It seriously damages the image of La Liga and Real Madrid in China. With the internet, things escalate quickly on social media and emotions run high,” he said. “An apology does not necessarily mean the story is over.”
The controversy surrounding Mbappé and its repercussions recall the 2019 dispute involving the NBA. China effectively cut ties with the American basketball league after Daryl Morey, then general manager of the Houston Rockets, expressed support for protesters in Hong Kong. The NBA subsequently acknowledged Morey’s right to freedom of expression.
The NBA, which alongside football is one of China’s most popular sports, disappeared from CCTV broadcasts for more than a year. It was not until 2025 that NBA preseason games were played in China again.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league lost “hundreds of millions of dollars” as a result of the break in relations.
Can the damage be reversed?
Spanish football also has much to lose. A source within La Liga told AFP that China and the United States alone account for the “majority” of international broadcasting rights revenue, which was valued at 748 million euros for the 2024-2025 season.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, China accounts for between 10% and 15% of Real Madrid’s jersey and merchandise sales. The club also counts Chinese companies among its major sponsors, including Hisense, sports betting company Kaiyun Sports and Linglong Tire.
Adam Zhang, founder of Beijing-based sports consultancy Key-Solution Sports Consulting, said issuing an apology quickly was the first thing Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga needed to do.
“This will influence the decision on whether to maintain the broadcasting ban and, if so, for how long,” he told AFP.
Yan, however, believes Mbappé’s reputation may never recover from the controversy.
“Judging by his commercial partnerships and the major advertising campaigns he appeared in during the World Cup, he has enormous influence in China,” the commentator said. “But if that influence cannot be sustained, commercial interests are out of the question, and La Liga and Real Madrid will inevitably be seriously affected.”
“It is really difficult to predict” what will happen next, Yan said. “In the short term, I am certainly not optimistic. If they want to restore their image and their relationship, their future actions and behavior will be decisive.”
