Kylian Mbappé faced a wave of hostile comments on his Xiaohongshu account after a video from March resurfaced in China. The French footballer’s account, which has 1.1 million followers, had previously attracted admiring messages, but comments had turned abusive by the morning of Tuesday, October 27.
In the clip, reportedly filmed backstage for the French online talk show The Bridge, Mbappé was asked about images parodying him. While having his makeup done, he jokingly referred to one image as showing him as a “Chinese dictator.” The edited sequence then showed a depiction of Mao Zedong with Mbappé’s features.
The video reappeared on Monday, October 26, the day the Ballon d’Or was awarded in London, an honour Mbappé did not win. Chinese football outlet Dongqiudi highlighted the clip, saying the comments were inappropriate and could offend China and its people, and that it could not translate them.
The backlash led Chinese sponsors to withdraw and drew criticism from China’s foreign ministry, according to the report. The controversy could also carry a substantial financial cost for Real Madrid, which the report identifies China as its largest market.
Sources: Le Monde Sport.