One tweet, 24 hours, and one endorsement deal was gone.
A statement Mbappé made on X triggered a strong backlash on the Chinese internet. In less than 24 hours, Dongpeng Beverage, which had hired him to endorse “Bujingla,” announced it was terminating all cooperation. Comments said Xiaohongshu had also cut ties. His past coverage could no longer be found on the CCTV website or on media accounts across platforms. On Dongqiudi, the 2026 Ballon d’Or ranking showing him in 2nd place now displays “no such person.”
Even more coincidentally, Real Madrid already had one player, Huijsen, lose the Chinese market this year for a similar reason. Of the 11 starters, 2 are “not allowed to be broadcast.”
From the brand’s perspective, there are several layers to this:
1. Cutting ties this quickly is itself a statement. Ending the deal within 24 hours shows the brand already had a plan in place — in the Chinese market, this kind of risk is already a required question, not an optional one.
2. When signing foreign superstars, what you are buying is global fame, along with a public opinion field you cannot control. What he says on X and Instagram is something the brand can never pre-screen in advance.
3. The loss is not just the endorsement fee, but also all the materials already distributed, shelf space, and ad placements, all of which have to be pulled.
Some people also point to the other side: many people inside the firewall had no idea what happened and were just following the boycott. Emotion spreads faster than the facts. The brand has no time to wait for the truth and can only take a side first.
If you work on branding, you can check:
· Whether the morality clause in the contract covers social media posts and whether fees can be clawed back
· Whether the endorsement is tied to one person or spread across a team
· Whether materials can be replaced within 48 hours
The next harder question is how next year’s World Cup matches for France will be broadcast and commentated.
Endorsement fees buy a face; risk is a bet on a mouth.
A statement Mbappé made on X triggered a strong backlash on the Chinese internet. In less than 24 hours, Dongpeng Beverage, which had hired him to endorse “Bujingla,” announced it was terminating all cooperation. Comments said Xiaohongshu had also cut ties. His past coverage could no longer be found on the CCTV website or on media accounts across platforms. On Dongqiudi, the 2026 Ballon d’Or ranking showing him in 2nd place now displays “no such person.”
Even more coincidentally, Real Madrid already had one player, Huijsen, lose the Chinese market this year for a similar reason. Of the 11 starters, 2 are “not allowed to be broadcast.”
From the brand’s perspective, there are several layers to this:
1. Cutting ties this quickly is itself a statement. Ending the deal within 24 hours shows the brand already had a plan in place — in the Chinese market, this kind of risk is already a required question, not an optional one.
2. When signing foreign superstars, what you are buying is global fame, along with a public opinion field you cannot control. What he says on X and Instagram is something the brand can never pre-screen in advance.
3. The loss is not just the endorsement fee, but also all the materials already distributed, shelf space, and ad placements, all of which have to be pulled.
Some people also point to the other side: many people inside the firewall had no idea what happened and were just following the boycott. Emotion spreads faster than the facts. The brand has no time to wait for the truth and can only take a side first.
If you work on branding, you can check:
· Whether the morality clause in the contract covers social media posts and whether fees can be clawed back
· Whether the endorsement is tied to one person or spread across a team
· Whether materials can be replaced within 48 hours
The next harder question is how next year’s World Cup matches for France will be broadcast and commentated.
Endorsement fees buy a face; risk is a bet on a mouth.
