Mbappé China backlash: On Running’s ambassador dilemma

Kylian Mbappé became the target of a nationalist backlash in China on October 26, after soccer platform Dongqiudi said comments he made on French online talk show “The Bridge” were offensive to China. In unverified clips circulating online, Mbappé reportedly describes a favorite meme featuring “a Chinese dictator” as an image resembling Mao Zedong appears with his face superimposed, according to the BBC. He does not name Mao. By October 27, Dongpeng (Eastroc Beverage), its electrolyte drink brand Bushuila, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground had all ended their partnerships with the player. China’s foreign ministry also weighed in, with spokesperson Lin Jian (林剑) saying that words and deeds hurting the feelings of the Chinese people would meet opposition across Chinese society. Mbappé had not commented at the time of publication. Weibo users accused Mbappé of profiting from the Chinese market while disrespecting the country, and hashtags about brands ending their partnerships with him topped the platform’s trending list, according to TRT World. State broadcaster CCTV has also halted broadcasts of La Liga matches involving Mbappé and pulled all advertising featuring him, according to The Paper. On and other Western brands remove Mbappé from Weibo Swiss sportswear brand On, which named Mbappé a global brand ambassador on September 18, has removed promotional content featuring him from its official Weibo account, according to Jiemian, just over a month after the partnership was unveiled. It is not the only Western brand to step back. Dior, Rimowa, Hublot and Mbappé’s former sponsor Nike no longer show any content related to the player on their official Weibo accounts, according to The Paper. Mbappé had been with Nike for nearly two decades before his contract expired on July 31, according to a report on Tencent News. On launched its entry into soccer alongside his signing. The deal goes well beyond a conventional endorsement. Mbappé received an equity stake and will wear On’s football gear in matches. He is also set to work with the brand’s product teams on developing and testing its future football boots and apparel. The arrangement ties the two together financially as well as commercially. Why Greater China makes the Mbappé controversy so costly for On In recent years, On has been expanding beyond its running roots into a broader range of sports categories. Its second-quarter 2026 results, released in August, showed net sales up 13.5% year-over-year to 850.3 million Swiss francs ($1.03 billion), with apparel sales climbing 47.7%. Asia-Pacific net sales grew 43.1% to Swiss francs 170.5 million ($206.6 million), more than 20% of the total, and On named Greater China, along with Japan and South Korea, as the region’s growth drivers. That makes the controversy a particularly delicate challenge for On. Mbappé is meant to raise the brand’s global profile and help develop its football products as it seeks a foothold in a market long dominated by Nike and Adidas. China, meanwhile, sits at the center of On’s growth in Asia-Pacific, its fastest-growing region. The backlash leaves the brand caught between its global football ambitions and its standing with Chinese consumers. On has not issued a statement on the controversy or the future of the partnership. Its customer service said only that official information would come through brand channels. Because the two are linked through equity, either path carries consequences. Ending the partnership could force On to reconsider parts of its product development and marketing plans. Maintaining it could raise questions about the brand’s standing with Chinese consumers. Thierry Henry and Sydney Schertenleib give On’s football push a plan B Still, On’s soccer ambitions do not rest entirely on Mbappé. The brand has appointed Thierry Henry, the French World Cup winner and former Arsenal striker, as director of football, with a central role in shaping its strategy for the sport. It has also expanded its partnership with Sydney Schertenleib, the Swiss international who plays for FC Barcelona’s women’s team, to cover soccer product development and testing; she has been an On ambassador since December 2025. On’s first soccer boots are due in 2027. Even if the Mbappé partnership changes, the brand has the people and the product plan to keep going. If the partnership does end, On faces a choice about what comes next. It could look for another soccer star to carry its existing strategy, or move away from relying on a single high-profile athlete and build its football business around product and a wider group of players. Salomon Trail Week brings ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter to Shanghai Salomon opened its annual “Salomon Trail Week” at its Xintiandi flagship in Shanghai on October 25 with a visit from American ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter. The program included a fan meet-and-greet, an exhibition on Dauwalter’s career, a signing session and the China premiere of her documentary, screened with the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Shanghai was the first stop on her China tour. The event took the brand’s trail running credentials into an urban retail setting and gave Chinese runners rare access to one of the sport’s best-known athletes. Kolon Sport backs snow leopard conservation in Qinghai’s Sanjiangyuan region Kolon Sport marked the opening of the Nangqian Nature Service Center with an event at its IAPM store in Shanghai on October 21, where it also launched a charity collection with Milan (觅蓝), a Chinese conservation organization, under the theme “Let Kindness Grow in the City.” The center itself opened on October 15 in Nangqian, a county in southern Qinghai province that forms part of the Sanjiangyuan, or Three Rivers Source, region, home to snow leopards. It was jointly built by the brand, Milan and the local county government, according to Kolon Sport. The brand will supply outdoor gear to frontline patrol teams and fund longer-term work including scientific monitoring and environmental education. Brand ambassador Hu Ge (胡歌), who has worked with Kolon Sport since September 2024, spoke at the Shanghai event. Under Armour and Feng Chen Wang debut ‘Rebel Daughter’ collection in China Under Armour and China-born designer Feng Chen Wang (王逢陈) gave their “Rebel Daughter” collection its first full presentation in China at an event in Shanghai on October 14, under the theme “One of One. Never Alone.” The pieces pair Under Armour’s performance fabrics with Chinese details such as standing collars and “ruyi” knot closures, a fastening named after the curved scepter that symbolizes good fortune in Chinese culture. The partnership, announced at Paris Fashion Week in June, is Under Armour’s first long-term tie-up with a Chinese designer on commercially sold products. It comes as the brand’s Asia-Pacific business shrinks: revenue in the region fell 6.6% to $152.6 million in the quarter to June 30, with weak demand in China among the reasons given.

China shows Mbappé the red card. What does On do now?

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China shows Mbappé the red card. What does On do now?

TUMI’s new growth playbook: From travel expertise to lifestyle performance