Mbappé laughed at a meme. His sponsors were listening.

A laugh on a podcast months ago cost Kylian Mbappé three Chinese sponsors this week and forced his club to apologise. The lesson for every athlete: what you say, post or like reaches your fans and sponsors. Even when that was never your intention.

What happened

On the French show The Bridge, hosted by his Real Madrid teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni, Mbappé was asked a light-hearted question: what is the funniest meme of yourself you have ever seen? His answer: an image with his face placed on that of "some guy, I think a Chinese dictator". It was an AI-generated image of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China.

To many Europeans, that sounds like a harmless aside. In China, jokes about Mao are a social taboo. The striking part: Mbappé said it months ago. Only when the clip recently spread on Chinese social media did it become an (inter)national issue within a day.

The fallout

The consequences were huge. Three Chinese brands ended their partnerships with the footballer with immediate effect, and the Chinese versions of two different football games removed him. Even the Spanish league and Real Madrid had to apologise. Mbappé himself called his comment ill-judged, but the damage was done.

Everyone is listening, even to a like

Mbappé probably thought he was joking among friends. But China was exactly where he had built a huge fan base and signed sponsors, down to recording an advertising slogan in Chinese. Those very fans and sponsors heard his remark. He forgot who was listening.

The same goes for a like, and few people stop to think about it. A like feels like nothing: one tap on your screen. But on platforms such as Instagram or LinkedIn, that like can show up in your followers' feeds with your name attached: athlete X likes this. Suddenly your thumbs-up is news to your fans and sponsors. You haven't said a word, yet your name is under a post you may not even have fully watched or read.

Think of an athlete who likes a funny meme about a competing brand, a sportswoman who likes a critical post about her own federation, or a player who likes a joke about the country where he competes in a world cup next week. A small gesture, but everyone who follows you sees it: your (prospective) sponsor, your federation and your youngest fans. They may not know you personally, but they will remember.

Three lessons for athletes

1. Know who is listening. Your audience is not just the person in front of you. It is your fans, your sponsors, your federation, your teammates and people in the countries where you compete or do business. Ask yourself, every time, how it will land with them.

2. A like is a statement too. Your followers don't see 'he scrolled past', they see 'he likes this'. A useful test: only like or share what you would also say out loud with your sponsor's logo on your chest.

3. What's online stays online: including your likes. A like or comment is captured in a single screenshot, and deleting or undoing it doesn't erase that image. Mbappé was only held to account for his words months later. So assume that everything you say, post or like will be seen one day, by exactly the people it wasn't meant for.

Finally

One mistake doesn't define anyone, and everyone deserves the chance to put it right. But repair costs more than prevention. So before you say, post or like anything: take one second and think about who else is watching.

Want to talk about your online positioning, find out where you or your team stand, or have a plan ready for when things do go wrong? Get in touch with 87KNOTS.