Kylian Mbappé has lost at least three major Chinese sponsors after making comments apparently referring to Mao Zedong as a dictator, with RedNote also ending its content partnership with the star

French football sensation Kylian Mbappé's image features prominently in adverts throughout China, from underground stations to lift lobbies, but now at least three firms are severing connections with the national team skipper following remarks he made seemingly describing Mao Zedong, the founding father of Communist China, as a dictator.

Drinks manufacturer Dongpeng, dairy behemoth Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground declared on Tuesday in near-identical statements that they were terminating arrangements with the football icon, each stating they reject "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment."

The firms didn't elaborate on what triggered their choices, but they issued their announcements after footage seemingly showing Mbappé being questioned before appearing on the French online chat programme "The Bridge" spread across X.

In the clip, Mbappé is quizzed about his preferred meme of himself, and the footballer responds that it was "a video someone made of a guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator" before the footage displays a doctored picture depicting Mbappé's face on the blue-suited figure of Mao Zedong.

Football supporters online jokingly label the star - who's reported to eclipse many of his colleagues and even the squads he represents - a dictator, and memes portraying him as Mao or other authoritarian figures are extensively shared.

The Associated Press was immediately unable to contact Mbappé's representatives for comment. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to the furore by stating that "words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society."

Social media platform RedNote also waded into the row, issuing a statement confirming it had held a content partnership with Mbappé that concluded on 31 December 2024, and that it would "remove related promotional materials."

The platform similarly voiced its opposition to "any conduct that hurts national sentiment." By Tuesday, Mbappé's RedNote account had stopped accepting new followers.

The French football star had previously fronted numerous advertising campaigns across China, promoting everything from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one Dongpeng commercial, Mbappé delivers a slogan in Chinese, while an advert for Mengniu sees him appear alongside Argentine football icon Lionel Messi.

Chinese social media was already awash with criticism directed at the footballer. The hashtags "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé" and "Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé" shot straight to the top of Weibo's trending charts, while "Football fans boycott Mbappé" also gained significant traction, with scores of users venting their fury at his remarks or urging him to stay away from China.