Mbappe apologises for Mao Zedong comments as Chinese brands drop him
Kylian Mbappe has apologised for comments about Mao Zedong after Chinese brands dropped him and Chinese state television suspended La Liga matches.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
- BBC News and GB News: covered online, not found on air.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Kylian Mbappe has apologised after making comments about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that were described as ill-judged, with the fallout hitting his commercial deals and Spanish football broadcasts in China.
The Real Madrid forward appeared on a French talk show, where he reportedly joked about a meme in which his face was superimposed on an image resembling Mao. The late Chinese leader is a sensitive subject in China, and the remarks drew anger there. One response said: 'Remarks and acts that offend the feelings of the Chinese people, will naturally be rejected by all walks of life in China.'
Mbappe issued an apology, saying: 'I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history and I am sincerely sorry.'
The consequences have been significant. Multiple top brands in China have dropped him, and the Chinese state broadcaster has suspended all matches from Spain's top league, where he plays for Real Madrid. The move drew a response from the La Liga president.
Mbappe is one of the most marketable figures in world football, and the episode shows that comments away from the pitch can quickly become a global commercial and public relations issue.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Mbappe apologised for comments about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. | |
| Multiple Chinese brands dropped Mbappe after his comments. | |
| The Chinese state broadcaster suspended all matches from Spain's top league. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel led with Mbappe's apology and then widened the story to the commercial and broadcast fallout. It named Real Madrid, Chinese brands and the suspension of La Liga matches, and included his apology in his own words. It also noted the economic risk and closed on the global consequences, without giving the La Liga president's actual response.
- “The French star footballer, Kylian Mbappe, has apologised for ill-judged comments he made about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.”
- “I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention.”
- “Mbappe's comments have also led to the state broadcaster suspending all matches from Spain's top league.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 18:26 GMT
Kylian Mbappe, French star footballer
BBC News · Tue 27 Oct
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.