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How Mbappé’s Mao Meme Remark Led to a La Liga Broadcast Freeze in China
A clip in which Kylian Mbappé called a Mao themed meme funny and referred to its subject as a “Chinese dictator” was followed by three Chinese companies ending partnerships and CMG suspending La Liga broadcasts from O... Mbappé, La Liga and Real Madrid apologised, but CMG maintained its restrictions.
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- A clip in which Kylian Mbappé called a Mao themed meme funny and referred to its subject as a “Chinese dictator” was followed by three Chinese companies ending partnerships and CMG suspending La Liga broadcasts from O...
- Mbappé, La Liga and Real Madrid apologised, but CMG maintained its restrictions.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: How did Kylian Mbappé’s viral remark on the French show The Bridge about a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong trigger a dispute with China, an. Article summary: Mbappé’s joke about a meme portraying him as Mao Zedong escalated into a dispute because his description of Mao as a “dictator” was treated as disrespectful in China, prompting sponsor withdrawals, broadcasting restricti. Topic tags: general, news, general web. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers
A short clip linked to the French programme The Bridge set off consequences well beyond Kylian Mbappé’s original remark. The footage showed him describing a meme of his face edited onto an image resembling Mao Zedong as funny, and referring to the figure as “some guy, I think he’s a Chinese dictator.” He did not name Mao directly.5
11 The backlash was followed by Chinese sponsor withdrawals and a suspension of La Liga broadcasts by China Media Group (CMG).
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What Mbappé said—and how he responded
The clip circulated online and was later taken down. The meme’s reference to Mao, China’s former leader, drove the controversy.3
5 Mbappé apologised on October 27, describing his comment as “ill-judged” and saying he had not intended to cause offence.
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La Liga also apologised, and Real Madrid issued its own apology on October 28. Those statements did not immediately end the dispute with Chinese state media.21
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China’s foreign ministry said on October 28 that it had taken Mbappé’s apology “seriously.” That was an acknowledgement of the apology—not confirmation that broadcast restrictions or commercial ties would be restored.17
CMG’s suspension and the November 1 match
CMG’s suspension of La Liga broadcasts began on October 26, according to reports confirming the start date two days later. The restrictions also affected advertisements featuring Mbappé. CMG subsequently maintained its position despite the apologies.23
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The consequences were still visible on November 1, when CCTV did not broadcast Real Madrid’s 3–0 win over Racing Santander.11
13 Reports described Migu’s response as more selective: it removed the Real Madrid–Racing fixture from its schedule, while AFP reporters found other La Liga matches being streamed on the platform. One later report said the Racing match was also absent from Chinese pay television, but coverage accounts do not establish a complete platform-by-platform schedule.
Sponsors cut ties; Tebas seeks dialogue
Three Chinese companies—Mengniu, Shanghai Milkground and Eastroc Beverage—ended their partnerships with Mbappé after the remarks.18 The commercial fallout was distinct from the broadcaster’s decision to suspend La Liga coverage.
La Liga president Javier Tebas set up a crisis unit and met Chinese ambassador Yao Jing in Madrid as the league sought to contain the dispute.21
22 He later said dialogue with Chinese authorities was continuing; reporting also described him as willing to travel to China, but does not establish that he made a trip to Beijing.
Mourinho’s response and the sporting outcome
Real Madrid coach José Mourinho said Mbappé had apologised responsibly, while warning that “often the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut.” He also said the club had done what it needed to do by apologising.2
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On the field, Mbappé scored in Real Madrid’s 3–0 win over Racing on November 1.7 The available reporting describes the victory as keeping pressure on league leaders Barcelona, but does not establish that the result changed Madrid’s position or give a verified points gap.
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The clearest distinction in the aftermath is between the foreign ministry’s response and CMG’s actions: China’s foreign ministry said it took the apology seriously, while the broadcaster’s restrictions and the sponsor departures remained separate consequences.17
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A clip in which Kylian Mbappé called a Mao themed meme funny and referred to its subject as a “Chinese dictator” was followed by three Chinese companies ending partnerships and CMG suspending La Liga broadcasts from O...
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A clip in which Kylian Mbappé called a Mao themed meme funny and referred to its subject as a “Chinese dictator” was followed by three Chinese companies ending partnerships and CMG suspending La Liga broadcasts from O... Mbappé, La Liga and Real Madrid apologised, but CMG maintained its restrictions.