Creator of Mbappe–Mao meme says legal action would ruin him

Younes Khalifi, known as frenchaicovers on X, has revealed how he dealt with the controversy sparked by his satirical image combining the face of Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe with that of Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The incident led to apologies from the player, the club, and La Liga, and prompted China’s state broadcaster to suspend Spanish league matches.

Speaking to So Foot magazine, Khalifi said he was stunned by the scale of the crisis on Tuesday morning when he checked his phone after waking up, only to find that the image he posted in August 2023 had become the center of a major debate. He wrote on X at the time: “I woke up to find I’d caused a diplomatic crisis.”

Khalifi added: “When I see that it made the evening news and affected La Liga broadcasting rights, it’s just crazy.”

The controversy began when Mbappe was asked which meme about him he found funniest. He replied: “The one that made me laugh most is where they use my face as a Chinese dictator. I use it a lot with my friends.”

Mbappe was referring to the image blending his face with that of Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist revolution and founder of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. His comments triggered backlash, prompting the player to issue what he called a sincere apology to China, saying his remarks were “hurtful” and stressing his “deep respect for the Chinese people and their history.”

Real Madrid also apologized “to the Chinese people,” following apologies from La Liga and its president Javier Tebas. The developments came after China’s state broadcaster CCTV suspended Spanish league broadcasts, including matches featuring Mbappe, and major Chinese companies announced they were ending partnerships with the French star.

As the controversy grew, Khalifi said he wondered if he could face legal consequences over the meme, and whether Mbappe’s camp might sue him for damages.

He explained: “Honestly, when I saw what happened, I wondered if I’d face legal consequences. Would Mbappe’s camp sue me and demand compensation? But I looked into it, and I’m not too worried. My first thought was exactly what I wrote in the tweet: If you sue me, Mbappe, I’ll be completely bankrupt.”

Khalifi’s concerns were not limited to possible legal action. He said he hopes to visit China soon and considered contacting the French embassy there to ensure the meme and its fallout would not cause him problems.

He added: “I really want to visit China soon. I even seriously thought about reaching out to the French embassy in China to make sure my situation is fine, given the meme I posted and what happened afterward. I know it’s a bit of a special request, maybe even silly, but I’d rather be sure.”

Khalifi said he is coping well with the situation, noting that his mother is still unaware of the controversy, while his colleagues know and tell him: “What you did is amazing, it’s gone totally crazy!” He added: “I’ll tell my mom soon, I need to call her, but it’s not easy to explain.”