India, Oct. 28 -- Soccer star Kylian Mbappe apologised for comments in which he apparently referred to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator, after facing backlash and losing brand deals with three different Chinese companies. "My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," Mbappe said in a statement Tuesday.

"I apologize to everyone my words have upset," he said. "This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry."

Mbappe's face appears in ads across China, from subway stations to inside elevators. Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese m...