Kylian Mbappé’s China crisis shows how sensitive Mao’s legacy remains

The Guardian Sport Wednesday 28 October 2026, 10:00 UTC By Rebecca Bailey 1 min read

Key Points

Real Madrid forward was dropped by brands for comments Chinese media generally steered clear of outlining It’s been a bad start to the week for the France forward Kylian Mbappé. He missed out on joining the elite roster of Ballon d’Or winners, and instead became the latest high-profile addition to a far less illustrious list – that of foreign brands and individuals charged with “hurting the feelings of the Chinese people”. The saga began when a video of the Real Madrid player making light of...

Real Madrid forward was dropped by brands for comments Chinese media generally steered clear of outlining

It’s been a bad start to the week for the France forward Kylian Mbappé. He missed out on joining the elite roster of Ballon d’Or winners, and instead became the latest high-profile addition to a far less illustrious list – that of foreign brands and individuals charged with “hurting the feelings of the Chinese people”.

The saga began when a video of the Real Madrid player making light of a meme involving him and China’s former leader Mao Zedong began spreading.

Kylian Mbappé’s (PERSON) China (LOCATION) Mao (PERSON) Real Madrid (ORG) Chinese (ORG) France (LOCATION) Kylian Mbappé (PERSON) Mao Zedong (PERSON)

Originally published by The Guardian Sport Read original →

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Kylian Mbappé’s China crisis shows how sensitive Mao’s legacy remains

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