China’s Migu video platform has removed Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Racing Santander from its television schedule, escalating the dispute surrounding Kylian Mbappe’s remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
The fixture, part of the 11th round of La Liga, was due to be shown during the weekend. Migu, which has about 400 million subscribers in China, is one of the country’s main broadcasters of sporting events, including La Liga matches.
Real Madrid are scheduled to visit Racing Santander at El Sardinero on Sunday, 1 November 2026. The decision means the game will not be broadcast in China and could have financial consequences for both La Liga and Real Madrid, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The development follows a series of measures in China aimed at ending commercial activity connected with Mbappe, including the broadcasting of matches in which the France forward plays.
How the dispute began
The controversy started after a video clip from an interview involving Mbappe was circulated online. In it, he discussed a satirical image showing his face superimposed on that of a Chinese political figure, whom he described as a Chinese dictator.
Although Mbappe did not name Mao Zedong, the image was associated with the former Chinese leader and prompted widespread anger on Chinese social media.
Mbappe subsequently apologised and expressed regret for hurting the feelings of people in China and elsewhere. Real Madrid also issued a formal apology to the Chinese people, while La Liga president Javier Tebas took steps to try to contain the situation.
Those apologies, however, did not immediately bring the dispute to an end.
According to media reports, Chinese companies including Mengniu Dairy Group, Shanghai Milkground and Dongpeng Beverages have ended their commercial relationships with Mbappe. The moves threaten the player’s advertising income and his future opportunities in the Chinese market.
The withdrawal of the match from Migu’s schedule represents the latest impact on Real Madrid’s commercial presence in China. It comes before the club’s next listed fixture, against AEK Athens in the Champions League on 4 November 2026.
Migu’s decision applies to the Racing Santander match, which is due to take place at El Sardinero on 1 November. No further details about the removal were given in the report.