Kylian Mbappé dropped by Chinese brands over ‘dictator’ comment

Major brands in China have dropped Kylian Mbappé over a clip in which the French football megastar appeared to mock Mao Zedong. In the video, widely shared on X , Mbappé is asked about the funniest internet meme he has seen featuring himself. He said it was of his face photoshopped onto that of “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator.” In China, jokes about Mao Zedong, the country’s modern founding leader, are considered disrespectful. Beverage-maker Dongpeng and dairy giant Mengniu announced Tuesday that they were ending agreements with the French player, although neither mentioned the video as the reason.