Do sports stars have the right to free speech?

Kylian Mbappé sparked an international controversy after referring to Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a dictator, without naming him, while reacting to a meme. Chinese sponsors withdrew their support, state television suspended La Liga broadcasts, and Mbappé and Real Madrid apologised. Patrick Gathara compares the backlash with Colin Kaepernick’s effective exclusion from the NFL after protesting racism and criticism of Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag. He argues that even a joke can make an athlete a target when their words touch on political sensitivities.