Anger in China as Mbappé’s jersey is burnt and posters removed

French footballer Kylian Mbappé is facing a backlash from some Chinese people, with reports of his jersey being burnt following his controversial comment referring to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a “dictator” while discussing memes.

In a video circulating online, a disgruntled Chinese man expressed his displeasure and disappointment over Mbappé’s remarks, which he believed disrespected the country’s former leader.

The man was seen holding a blue France national team jersey bearing the Real Madrid superstar’s name before setting it alight and burning it completely.

China bans La Liga broadcasts over controversial Mbappé comment

In another video, a Chinese man was seen removing and tearing down Mbappé’s posters from a vehicle and other locations around the city to express his frustration over the player’s comments.

Before these incidents, Mbappé had issued an official apology to the Chinese people, acknowledging his mistake and expressing regret for the offence caused.

Real Madrid and La Liga also apologised over the controversy and called for a swift resolution to preserve their relationship with China.

However, Chinese authorities reportedly maintain that an apology is insufficient to resolve the controversy surrounding Mbappé’s remarks about Mao Zedong.

Chinese state television reportedly announced the termination of its deal to broadcast La Liga matches, prompting efforts to resolve the dispute. Reports also suggest that if some league matches continue to be broadcast, Real Madrid games could be excluded until the issue is resolved.

The controversy stems from a video on The Bridge, in which Mbappé joked about an edited image depicting him as Mao Zedong, referring to the former Chinese leader as a “Chinese dictator” without directly naming him.

Watch the video below:

🚨JUST IN: Chinese fans are burning Mbappe jerseys and tearing down posters with his face on them https://t.co/IFDwc32Rf1

— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) October 28, 2026