Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

France and Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe issued an apology on Tuesday after landing in hot water after he was dropped by a string of Chinese brands following a backlash to his alleged comments about a meme featuring an image resembling China’s late leader Mao Zedong.

“During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself. My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention.…