Mbappé joins Özil and NBA on China's boycott list as football's financial ties exposed

Kylian Mbappé's comments about Mao Zedong have triggered a crisis exposing European football's financial dependence on China, prompting Real Madrid and La Liga to apologize as Chinese companies cut ties with the player. The fallout began after Mbappé discussed a satirical image of a Chinese political figure, which sparked anger on Chinese social media. Chinese firms including Mengniu Dairy and Dongpeng Beverage terminated contracts, with losses estimated at 6.7 million euros. China has used similar boycotts before, including against the NBA in 2019 and Mesut Özil in 2019, leveraging broadcasting rights and sponsorship to pressure foreign sports institutions. The WTA also suspended China tournaments in 2021 before resuming in 2023.