NewsTue 27 Oct 2026

Kylian Mbappé dropped by Chinese brands for ‘offending national sentiments’

Video appears to show football star refer to Mao Zedong as a ‘dictator’ Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu end deals with France captain . Kylian Mbappé was dropped Tuesday by two major brands in China after a video circulated online in which the French football superstar apparently joked about former leader Mao Zedong.

— The Guardian — Football, publisher's words · Read the original ↗

18 outlets7 languages11 countriesUpdated Tue 27 Oct, 22:12 UTC

Who broke it

The Guardian — Football

Tue 27 Oct 2026, 06:24 UTC

EN · GB

Followed by

outlets in 7 languages over 9 h 46 min.

Our read

Corroborated (7)

7 of 12 outlets each added at least one detail no earlier report had; the other 5 repeat it. That is independence, not agreement: two of them can still contradict each other.

Judged on the 12 outlets in our latest edition; the timeline keeps all 18 we have seen.

Coverage timeline

18 outlets · first-seen order

+0 minTue 27 Oct 06:24
The Guardian — FootballEN · GBBroke it
Kylian Mbappé dropped by Chinese brands for ‘offending national sentiments’
+55 minTue 27 Oct 07:19
L'Équipe — FootballFR · FROwn reporting
Des entreprises chinoises rompent avec Kylian Mbappé et l'accusent d'avoir heurté « les sentiments nationaux »
+1 h 29 minTue 27 Oct 07:53
RMC Sport — FootballFR · FROwn reporting
Polémique Mbappé-Mao: C'est l'escalade, maintenant le gouvernement chinois s'en prend au capitaine des Bleus
+2 h 22 minTue 27 Oct 08:46
Het Laatste Nieuws SportNL · BEOwn reporting
“Zo beledigend dat we ze niet vertaald hebben”: China woedend over Kylian Mbappés uitspraken over Mao
- +5 h 45 minZó kwaad dat ze zelfs geen Spaans voetbal meer willen uitzenden: Kylian Mbappé heeft het helemaal verkorven in China na opmerkingen over Mao
+3 h 4 minTue 27 Oct 09:28
Gazeta SporturilorRO · ROOwn reporting
Mbappe a scandalizat China! Au rupt contractele cu starul lui Real Madrid, după declarațiile făcute
+3 h 16 minTue 27 Oct 09:40
VoetbalPrimeurNL · NLOwn reporting
'Kwetsende' opmerking komt Mbappé duur te staan: sponsordeals beëindigd
- +5 h 52 minMbappé biedt excuses aan: 'Ongepast, dat was absoluut niet mijn bedoeling'
+3 h 28 minTue 27 Oct 09:52
DH Les SportsFR · BEOwn reporting
Controverse Mbappé : avant le Français, ces autres grandes stars sportives qui se sont aussi cassées les dents sur la muraille de Chine !
+4 hTue 27 Oct 10:24
Get French Football NewsEN · FROwn reporting
Kylian Mbappé loses major China sponsorship deals following Mao Zedong meme controversy
- +6 h 20 minKylian Mbappé ‘sincerely sorry’ for ‘ill-judged’ Mao Zedong comment
+4 h 7 minTue 27 Oct 10:31
Cumhuriyet SporTR · TROwn reporting
Mbappe’nin Mao sözleri Çin’de kriz yarattı: İki dev şirket bağlarını kopardı
+4 h 34 minTue 27 Oct 10:58
AD SportNL · NLRepeats
China woedend op Kylian Mbappé na uitspraken over Mao: samenwerking met bedrijven direct beëindigd
- +4 h 34 min‘Ik besef nu dat ik veel mensen heb gekwetst’: Kylian Mbappé biedt excuses aan na rel om Mao-meme
- +4 h 34 minOok La Liga mengt zich in rel rond Mbappé en China: ‘Acties van een individu mogen onze relatie met het land niet schaden’
+4 h 49 minTue 27 Oct 11:13
Mundo Deportivo — FútbolES · ESRepeats
Tebas pide disculpas al pueblo chino por la polémica con Mbappé
- +9 h 46 minEl 'meme' de Mbappé que enfadó a China
+5 h 32 minTue 27 Oct 11:56
Foot MercatoFR · FRRepeats
Kylian Mbappé envoie un message d’excuse aux Chinois !
- +8 h 34 minKylian Mbappé expulsé du Ballon d’Or en Chine
+6 h 27 minTue 27 Oct 12:51
Khel NowEN · INOwn reporting
Kylian Mbappe loses Chinese sponsors after Mao Zedong jokes
+7 h 5 minTue 27 Oct 13:29
11FreundeDE · DERepeats
Kylian Mbappé verliert Werbedeals in China und entschuldigt sich: Mao oder Meme?
- +7 h 5 minKylian Mbappé verliert Werbedeals in China und entschuldigt sich: Mao oder Meme?
+7 h 12 minTue 27 Oct 13:36
Soccernews.nlNL · NLRepeats
Kylian Mbappé diep voor het stof in statement na boycot en woede
+9 h 28 minTue 27 Oct 15:52
n-tv — SportDE · DEOwn reporting
Eklat nach Mao-Kommentar: China verbannt Real Madrid und Kylian Mbappé aus dem TV
+9 h 36 minTue 27 Oct 16:00
Soccer LadumaEN · ZAOwn reporting
Mbappe ‘Dropped’ After Offensive Chinese Remarks
+9 h 38 minTue 27 Oct 16:02
Sportsnet SoccerEN · CAOwn reporting
Kylian Mbappe apologizes for apparent reference to Mao as a ‘dictator’

First seen is our own clock across 245+ feeds; it is not a guarantee of who published first. Each time is the earlier of the publisher's own timestamp and our first sighting. Headlines and summaries are the publishers' own words, linked to the original. How we work out who broke it.