Kylian Mbappé may have to pay millions to China

Kylian Mbappé, the current captain of the French national team, is facing a worrying situation following recent controversies in China. According to Foot Mercato, the footballer risks having to pay several million euros to unilaterally terminate contracts with Chinese brands.

The Chinese media outlet The Paper reports that companies that have broken their agreements with Mbappé can demand significant damages under the Chinese civil code. Fu Jian, director of the Henan Zejin law firm, explains that if the contract clearly stipulates a prohibition on harming the brand or national sentiment, they can unilaterally terminate and claim compensation.

Furthermore, Mbappé was not exempt from harsh criticism during the voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Football.fr indicates that the French striker did not appear in the top 10 of several jurors, notably those from Greece and Scotland.

Consequences for his image

The controversy in China has also had significant repercussions for Mbappé. Real Madrid and Javier Tebas fear that the Chinese market will be affected by this controversy, which could hinder the acquisition of new sponsors.

Mbappé has lost several partnerships with Chinese brands whose revenues amount to approximately 10 million dollars out of an estimated annual total of 30 million. This situation further complicates his legal and financial case in China, where compliance with the civil code is strict.

Ballon d'Or votes

The details of the votes revealed by L'Équipe show that Harry Kane won the award with 1,055 points against 1,027 for Kylian Mbappé. The vote of Manos Staramopoulos, a Greek journalist, is notable for having excluded several favorites.

Reactions and apologies

Kylian Mbappé apologized publicly after his controversial remarks about Mao Zedong, but the controversy persists in China. France 24 notes that Chinese artificial intelligence chatbots are partially censoring any mention of this controversy.