Chinese Companies Reportedly Cut Ties With Kylian Mbappé Over Mao Comments
Chinese companies are cutting ties with French soccer star Kylian Mbappé after he made comments that appeared to refer to Mao Zedong as a dictator.
Rochester, NY, October 27, 2026 —
Chinese companies are cutting ties with French soccer star Kylian Mbappé following comments that appeared to refer to Mao Zedong as a dictator, according to the available trend summary. The summary does not identify the companies or specify what business relationships are ending.
The comments themselves are not provided verbatim, and the circumstances in which Mbappé made them are not described. As a result, the precise wording, context and timing of the remarks cannot be established from the information available. The summary characterizes the comments as appearing to refer to Mao Zedong, rather than providing further detail about what Mbappé said.
No information is given about how many companies are involved, whether any have publicly explained their decisions, or what arrangements with Mbappé may be affected. The summary also does not state whether the companies have issued formal announcements or whether Mbappé has responded.
The available account describes a reaction by Chinese companies but provides no additional detail about its scope or duration. It does not name any specific company, partnership, campaign or contract. Those details therefore remain unconfirmed in the information provided, and no further conclusions about the companies’ actions or their reasons can be drawn from the summary alone.
Story summarized from the original created by E. EDUARDO CASTILLO, Associated Press on www.rochesterfirst.com, see more information here.
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