Kylian Mbappe Laughs Off Dictator Joke by Young Fan During Training
During a France training session, a young fan surprised Kylian Mbappe by shouting 'The dictator has arrived,' recalling a recent viral controversy over edited images involving China.
Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe found himself in an amusing situation during a national team training session this week when a young fan greeted him by shouting, "The dictator has arrived." Mbappe, caught off guard, could not hide his smile and burst into laughter alongside those present.
Behind the innocent joke lies a much larger story. In recent months, edited images of Mbappe depicted as various dictators have become a viral trend on social media, particularly a picture superimposing his face onto former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Mbappe addressed the image during a French entertainment show, but his response sparked a major controversy on the other side of the world.
The affair took an unusual turn when his remarks were perceived in China as offensive to the historical figure. Following the uproar, state television in China stopped broadcasting Spanish league matches, and advertisements featuring Mbappe were pulled. The striker was forced to issue apologies in multiple languages, including Chinese, clarifying that he had no intention of offending the Chinese people or their history.
Now, during a routine fan encounter, the incident resurfaced in an unexpected way. Footage of the child shouting at him quickly spread across social media and drew attention in Spanish and Portuguese media. Unlike the international storm triggered by the original joke, this time everything ended in widespread laughter and smiles, proving the French star can take a joke at his own expense.
