What is the controversy between Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and China?

Kylian Mbappe sparked anger in China after a video showed him joking about a meme that superimposed his face on that of a “Chinese dictator,” apparently referring to Mao Zedong. Al Jazeera verified that the clip was purportedly filmed in April; it was shared by French football podcast The Bridge, circulated widely on social media and later taken down. Although Mbappe apologised, the backlash has cost him several commercial deals and prompted Chinese state television to scrap La Liga broadcasts. “Dictator Mbappe” memes build on earlier images portraying him as a military or political leader with influence over decisions at his teams.