China bans LaLiga over Mbappe’s Meme!
Beijing, Oct 27 (EFE).-
Chinese state television CCTV suspended broadcasts of the Spanish soccer league, LaLiga, and matches involving Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe, following controversy over statements made by the Frenchman about a “meme” comparing him to Mao Zedong.
According to local media The Paper, citing sources linked to the public broadcaster, the measure took effect on Monday night and also included the removal of all advertisements and videos featuring the soccer star.
Several Chinese companies, including the beverage group Dongpeng and the dairy companies Mengniu and Milkground, have also announced ending their commercial ties with Mbappe, expressing their rejection of behaviors that allegedly hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
Dongpeng Beverage Group, through its main account and that of its brand Bu Shui La, posted statements on the local social media platform Weibo – similar to X, which is censored in China – in which it announced the immediate severance of its ties with the player and “zero tolerance” for behavior that supposedly hurts national sentiments.
Mengniu and Milkground also confirmed terminating their commercial agreements with the French striker, although none of the companies specified in their statements the specific incident that motivated the decision.
In recent months, advertisements featuring Mbappe promoting Bu Shui La beverages had frequently appeared on bus shelters, buses, and elevators in Chinese cities, especially during the 2026 Football World Cup.
Mengniu, one of China’s leading dairy groups, maintains a prominent presence in international sports sponsorship, with deals linked to the World Cup, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Argentinian Lionel Messi, while Milkground had also used Mbappe’s image in its commercial campaigns.
For its part, the Chinese platform Xiaohongshu, internationally known as RedNote, reported Tuesday that its collaboration with Mbappe concluded on Dec.31, 2024, upon the expiration of the contract, and announced that it was reviewing and removing content related to the player.
The controversy began after Mbappe, asked during a recent interview about his favorite meme, said it was the one “that makes me laugh the most…the one where there’s a video of a guy, I think it’s a Chinese dictator.”
Although the soccer star did not specifically mention any leaders, in recent months an image that shows his face superimposed on a portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong had become popular on social media.
In China, satires about former leaders and prominent figures linked to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are prosecuted for allegedly defaming heroes and martyrs, in an environment of strong censorship of political content.
The controversy adds to other recent incidents involving Spanish football entities in China, where in September official media criticized Real Madrid for a message that jointly mentioned Nepal and Tibet after a flood, considered “incorrect” by the local press.
In April, FC Barcelona apologized after a Taiwanese flag appeared on a page linked to its international academy, while in February Real Madrid issued an apology attributed to its defender Dean Huijsen for reposting racist and offensive content about Asian citizens on Instagram. EFE
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