China has suspended La Liga broadcasts in the country following comments by Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, sparking widespread criticism and putting the French captain’s sponsorship deals at risk.
According to reports, China Central Television (CCTV), the country’s state broadcaster, halted coverage of La Liga matches on October 26 and withdrew advertisements featuring the French international amid the growing backlash.
China Media Group (CMG), which oversees CCTV, has also indicated that Mbappé’s apology alone may not be enough to resolve the dispute.
“We will listen to his words, but watch his actions even more closely,” an unnamed CMG representative said on October 27, urging the player, Real Madrid and La Liga to learn from the incident and change their approach.
The controversy followed the circulation of a clip from the French programme The Bridge, in which Mbappé discussed an internet meme featuring his face superimposed on an image of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China.
Mbappé reportedly described the image as showing “some guy, I think he’s a Chinese dictator.” The news agency that reported the incident said it could not independently authenticate the video.
The comments drew widespread criticism on Chinese social media, while the backlash also affected the footballer’s commercial partnerships.
Beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced that they were ending their partnerships with the France captain.
Dongpeng’s sports drink brand, Bushuila, had introduced Mbappé as its ambassador in April 2026.
Swiss sportswear company On and luxury fashion house Dior also reportedly removed Chinese promotional content featuring the footballer. Still, neither company had announced a global termination of its relationship with him, according to Chinese news outlet Phoenix.
The backlash also spread to Chinese social media platforms Xiaohongshu and Weibo, where reports indicated that Mbappé’s accounts had been muted. As of October 28, it remained unclear whether the restrictions had been lifted.
Mbappé responded to the controversy on October 27 with an apology published in Chinese, French and English on X.
“I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” the footballer said.
He acknowledged that his comments had been ill-judged and had hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world.
La Liga also expressed regret over the offence caused to Chinese supporters, making it clear that the forward’s personal views did not represent the Spanish league’s position.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, also addressed the controversy, saying the ministry was aware of the reports.
“Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society,” Guo said.
As of October 28, there was still no confirmation that La Liga broadcasts would resume in China, leaving the return of Spanish football coverage uncertain.
