China pulls Real Madrid match over Mbappé's Mao joke

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 11:40 · Archive

Chinese state TV did not air a Real Madrid match after striker Kylian Mbappé made remarks about a meme depicting him as former leader Mao Zedong.

China's state broadcaster CCTV did not air a Real Madrid match against Racing Santander on Sunday, continuing a broadcast blackout triggered by remarks made by striker Kylian Mbappé about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Mbappé drew backlash after he was asked about his favourite meme of himself and replied that it was one in which his face was superimposed on that of "a Chinese dictator" resembling Mao. The video clip went viral in China. The remark caused significant controversy in the country, where Mao is revered by the Communist Party as the founder of the People's Republic despite his rule overseeing policies associated with mass starvation and millions of deaths.

China Media Group (CMG), which oversees CCTV, announced on 26 October that it was suspending La Liga broadcasts. The organisation demanded apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga as "an absolute prerequisite" for moving past the incident. The match on Sunday was not broadcast on either of CCTV's two sports channels, and other La Liga matches from the same weekend have also not been shown on public television.

Mbappé apologised on Tuesday following the furore. "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," he said. Mbappé reportedly made the remark on French talk show The Bridge. Real Madrid and La Liga subsequently issued their own apologies.

China's foreign ministry said it took Mbappé's apology "seriously". CMG acknowledged all three apologies but has not commented on when broadcasts will resume.

The controversy has had commercial consequences for Mbappé. At least three Chinese brands have ended sponsorship deals with the footballer. La Liga matches were shown on Migu, a digital streaming service owned by state-owned China Mobile, although the Real Madrid match did not appear to be included in that coverage.

Mao died in 1976 after leading the Chinese Communist Party to victory in the civil war and founding the People's Republic of China. During his rule he oversaw the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.

How it is being reported

• Football: China refuses to air Real Madrid game after Mbappé commentChinese state broadcaster CCTV did not broadcast a Real Madrid La Liga match on Sunday after star forward Kylian Mbappé caused a furore in China with remarks he made about former leader Mao Zedong. FRANCE 24's correspondent Jan Camenzind Broomby reports.France 24 · 2 Nov, 11:09
• Mbappé’s ‘Chinese dictator’ comment: How do Chinese people react?Kylian Mbappé has apologised after remarks about a meme depicting him as Chinese leader Mao Zedong sparked backlash in China. At least three Chinese companies have ended brand deals with the football star, while the controversy has drawn a response from China's Foreign Ministry.Euronews · 2 Nov, 09:24
• Chinese state TV continues Real Madrid blackout after Mbappe-Mao meme rowReal Madrid vs Racing Santander is not broadcast on CCTV despite apologies from Mbappe, Real and La Liga.Al Jazeera · 2 Nov, 08:16
• China refuses to air Real Madrid match after Kylian Mbappe’s joke about MaoReal Madrid star apologised last week over his ‘ill-judged’ remarks, which have triggered a backlash among sponsors in ChinaIndependent Sport · 2 Nov, 06:52
• China state broadcaster pulls Real Madrid match over Mbappé jokeChina Media Group, which acknowledged Mbappé's apology, has not said how long the blackout will last.BBC News · 2 Nov, 03:58

In this story: Kylian Mbappé · Mao Zedong · Real Madrid · China Media Group · La Liga · CCTV · China

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log