Real Madrid have added their own apology to China over Kylian Mbappé’s comments about Mao Zedong, joining the player and La Liga in apologising as a boycott in China deepens — three sponsors have dropped Mbappé, and Chinese state television has suspended broadcasts of Spanish league matches. The club’s apology, published on its website on Wednesday, October 28, was widely viewed as a move to protect its commercial interests in China, AFP reported on October 29. It came a day after Mbappé issued his own public apology, and after China’s state broadcaster had already rejected Real Madrid’s initial explanation as inadequate.
What Mbappé said — and what is still unverified
The furore was unleashed by a short video clip, from an interview with the French show The Bridge that has since been taken down, in which Mbappé said the funniest internet meme he had seen involving him was of his face photoshopped onto that of “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator.” That was an apparent reference to a meme depicting Mbappé as Mao Zedong. AFP Fact Check could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video, and that caveat matters: this article reports the remarks as they have been reported by AFP and other outlets, not as independently verified footage. What is not in doubt is the reaction that followed. In his own apology on Tuesday, issued in French, Chinese and English, Mbappé said: “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset.” La Liga said it “deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments have caused among Chinese fans,” adding that the comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent La Liga. La Liga president Javier Tebas also apologised, writing to the Chinese broadcaster, according to CCTV Sports, that Mbappé’s conduct was “unacceptable behaviour” that “does not represent the values of our competition or Spanish football.”
Real Madrid’s apology
On Wednesday, Real Madrid published its own statement. The club said: “Real Madrid CF wishes to express its apologies to the Chinese people for any discomfort caused by the recent words of our player Kylian Mbappé.” The statement continued: “Our club maintains a deep respect for China, its history, its culture and its citizens, as well as for the millions of Chinese fans who feel affection and admiration for Real Madrid.” The club said it supported Mbappé’s personal apology and hoped to strengthen its relationship with Chinese fans. The apology came after China Media Group (CMG), which oversees public broadcaster CCTV, said it had suspended La Liga broadcasts on Monday — before Mbappé and La Liga apologised — and had called for Real Madrid to apologise, saying such apologies were “an absolute prerequisite” and that nothing would be discussed until they were received. CCTV Sports had also removed programmes and advertisements featuring Mbappé.
The commercial cost so far
Three sponsors have severed ties with Mbappé: drinks giant Dongpeng and dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground have ended their partnerships with the player, AFP reported. On social media, Xiaohongshu and Weibo froze his accounts, and some Chinese media reported that Dior and Hublot had removed Mbappé-related content from their Weibo pages. At the Adidas flagship store in Beijing’s Sanlitun district, AFP reported, Real Madrid shirts were on sale but none with Mbappé’s name. The stakes for Spanish football are large. A source within La Liga told AFP that China and the United States alone finance the “majority” of La Liga’s international broadcasting rights, valued at €748 million (US$834 million) for the 2024-25 season. According to La Liga, matches broadcast on state-run CCTV are among the most-watched sporting events in China, and since 2016 the league has adapted its schedule to Asian time zones to grow that audience. On August 3, La Liga announced a new agreement with digital giant Migu, a subsidiary of China Mobile, to broadcast 380 matches a season until 2030. Despite the apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid, La Liga and Tebas, AFP reported on October 29 that they had “so far failed to calm the situation” — the boycott and the broadcast suspension remain the live facts, and whether CCTV restores La Liga matches is the next development to watch. China has clashed with foreign sports leagues before: in October 2019, it suspended sponsorship deals with the NBA and the state broadcaster pulled NBA games for a year after a Houston Rockets executive tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters, AFP noted.
What happens next
The questions that will decide how long this lasts are practical, not rhetorical: whether CCTV resumes La Liga broadcasts, whether any sponsor returns, and whether Real Madrid or La Liga take any further step beyond the apologies already issued. Until CCTV says otherwise, Spanish league football remains off Chinese state television.
FAQ
Why did Real Madrid apologise to China? Over Kylian Mbappé’s reported comments about a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong, which prompted a boycott in China, sponsor departures and a CCTV suspension of La Liga broadcasts.
Which sponsors dropped Mbappé? AFP names three: Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground.
Are La Liga matches back on Chinese television? Not on the evidence reported so far: CCTV suspended broadcasts on Monday, October 26, and the apologies since then had, as of October 29, not calmed the situation, according to AFP.
Sources
AFP via Malay Mail, “Mbappé’s Mao Zedong controversy puts Real Madrid’s China millions at risk as boycott hits Spanish football,” October 29, 2026: https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2026/10/29/mbappes-mao-zedong-controversy-puts-real-madrids-china-millions-at-risk-as-boycott-hits-spanish-football/241038
AFP via Free Malaysia Today, “Real Madrid, LaLiga apology over Mbappe shows power of Chinese market,” October 29, 2026: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/10/29/real-madrid-laliga-apology-over-mbappe-shows-power-of-chinese-market
AFP via Malay Mail, “Mbappe apologises over Mao Zedong remark as Chinese brands cut ties and La Liga broadcasts suspended,” October 28, 2026: https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/sports/2026/10/28/mbappe-apologises-over-mao-zedong-remark-as-chinese-brands-cut-ties-and-la-liga-broadcasts-suspended/240850
South China Morning Post, “Real Madrid issues apology to China over Mbappe’s Mao remarks,” October 2026: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372485/real-madrid-issues-apology-china-mbappes-mao-remarks?module=latest&pgtype=homepage
Kuwait Times (AFP), “Real Madrid apologize to China as Beijing takes Mbappe apology ‘seriously’,” October 28, 2026: https://kuwaittimes.com/article/52544/world/real-madrid-apologize-to-china-as-beijing-takes-mbappe-apology-seriously/amp/
