Pedestrians pass by an electrolyte drink advertisement for French football player Kylian Mbappé in the subway in Shanghai, China on June 30, 2026.
CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images
See all topics Email Link Copied!

What do French soccer star Kylian Mbappé and the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty have in common?

Before this week, very little. Now, they share the unenviable position of having angered Chinese fans and consumers – then having to quickly apologize and do damage control, with big earnings on the line.