Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe is in action during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Leipzig in Madrid, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

After Kylian Mbappe issued an apology on Tuesday for his comments about a meme featuring an image resembling China’s late leader Mao Zedong, his club Real Madrid followed suit with an apology statement of its own on Wednesday.

Mbappe faced backlash Tuesday over comments he made in an online interview, losing brand deals with at least three different Chinese companies. Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground said in similarly worded statements that they were ending agreements with the star, each saying they oppose “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”

This led to Mbappe bringing out an apology, saying his comments were ill-judged. “During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself.…