French footballer Kylian Mbappé has lost sponsorship agreements in China after making a joke about Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People's Republic, according to Dagens Nyheter. The Swedish newspaper reports that he is now blacklisted in the country, that companies have cancelled their contracts with him, and that social media has filled with insults directed at the player. China's foreign ministry has accused him of wounding the feelings of the Chinese people.
Why it matters
The episode shows how quickly a single remark can cost an athlete his commercial standing in one of the world's largest markets. Mbappé is among the most prominent footballers in the world, and the reported loss of million-value contracts in China illustrates the financial exposure that comes with a global profile. It also demonstrates that Chinese authorities and businesses can act jointly and swiftly when they judge that a public figure has crossed a line concerning the country's political history.
Contracts cancelled and a place on the blacklist
According to Dagens Nyheter, the consequences for Mbappé have been broad. Companies have torn up their agreements with him, and he has been placed on a blacklist in China. The newspaper describes social media in the country as flooding with abusive remarks about the player.
The Chinese foreign ministry has publicly criticised Mbappé, accusing him of hurting the feelings of the Chinese people. Dagens Nyheter characterises the joke as having "wounded the Chinese people," and the ministry's language places the matter beyond a simple commercial dispute — it frames the remark as an offence against the public rather than a private misstep.
Dagens Nyheter does not, in the material available, specify the exact wording of the joke, when it was made, or which companies have ended their relationships with the player. The newspaper also does not state the value of the contracts involved beyond describing them as million contracts.
An apology that did not settle the matter
The Swedish outlet Expressen reports that Mbappé has apologised to an entire country. Svenska Dagbladet, meanwhile, reports that China has halted broadcasts of La Liga matches despite that apology — an indication that the response has extended beyond the player himself to the Spanish league in which he plays.
That detail matters because it shows the reaction is not confined to Mbappé's personal endorsement portfolio. A broadcaster blackout of league fixtures affects clubs, other players and fans, and it suggests that Chinese authorities are treating the incident as a matter that touches the competition as a whole, not just one individual.
Taken together, the reporting describes a sequence familiar from other cases involving public figures and Chinese sensitivities: a remark circulates, public criticism builds, commercial partners withdraw, and official bodies signal disapproval. In this instance, the apology reported by Expressen has not, according to Svenska Dagbladet, been enough to restore the previous arrangements.
What to watch
The immediate question is whether the broadcast suspension reported by Svenska Dagbladet is lifted and whether any of the cancelled sponsorship deals are restored. Dagens Nyheter's reporting does not indicate a timeline, and neither the player nor the companies involved have been quoted on the terms of any possible return. For now, the record shows a blacklist, terminated contracts and a halted league broadcast — with an apology already on the table and, so far, no sign that it has changed the outcome.
