China Pulls LaLiga Off the Air Over Mbappe Meme Comparing Him to Mao Zedong

An interview, a meme and an offhand remark: that's how the whole mess started, one that ended with Chinese state television pulling LaLiga off the air. What looked like a harmless anecdote ended up forcing apologies from both Kylian Mbappe and LaLiga itself, in an episode that tangles together soccer, social media and some very serious political sensitivities in China.

It all began when the French forward was asked about his favorite meme. Without giving it much thought, he answered: "The one that's made me laugh the most is the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator. I use it a lot with my friends." He didn't name anyone specifically, but an image superimposing his face onto that of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong had been circulating on social media for months. And that's exactly where the problem lies: in China, mocking historical figures tied to the Communist Party isn't just considered bad taste, it can be prosecuted under the "defamation of heroes and martyrs" law, part of a strict crackdown on politically sensitive content.

The response came fast. State broadcaster CCTV suspended all its broadcasts of Spain's top flight, cutting LaLiga off from its usual window into the country. In light of that, the Spanish league quickly moved to try to put out the fire.

In a statement, LaLiga said it "deeply regrets the offense that Kylian Mbappe's comments have caused among Chinese fans" and clarified that the remarks were the player's personal responsibility, not the institution's. "These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent LALIGA. To the extent of our institutional responsibility, we apologize on behalf of LALIGA and all its clubs," the league said.

The league also confirmed it is already in contact with its partners and institutional contacts in China to resolve the situation, and announced it will roll out, together with clubs and players, an awareness and communication protocol designed to promote respect between cultures and prevent anything like this from happening again.

Mbappe Apologizes in Three Languages

Shortly after, the forward himself responded. Mbappe posted a statement on his social media, dated from Paris through his company Interconnected Ventures, apologizing directly to the Chinese people in three languages: French, Chinese and English.

In a recent interview, I reacted to a photo of myself that I'm posing in. That comment was a slip and I understand today that it has hurt many people in China and within the Chinese community around the world. I apologize to everyone my words may have offended. That was in no way my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am truly sorry.Kylian Mbappe

The player maintains it was a slip, not an intent to offend, and underscores the respect he holds for the Chinese people and their history. It remains to be seen whether the apologies, his and the league's, will be enough to get CCTV to reconsider the suspension and restore LaLiga's crucial window into the Chinese market.