Dictator Mbappé or Mbappe Dictator, also known as Mbappe Ditador or the 姆 巴 佩 Meme in Chinese, is a nickname and series of memes referring to French football player Kylian Mbappé depicted as a dictator. The memes began as early as 2024, when Mbappe threatened to sue French influencer Mohamed Henni, who responded by saying Mbappe was "turning his name into a dictatorship." Meme edits that put Mbappe in dictator outfits, using AI video and Photoshop, became increasingly popularized over the following years.
In early April 2026, a rumor that Mbappé disliked the memes and the nickname began spreading online, although the veracity was unconfirmed. The rumor resulted in an example of the Streisand Effect, causing a resurgence in Dictator Mbappe memes.
In late October 2026, Mbappé then stated during an interview with the French talk show The Bridge that the memes depicting him as former Chinese dictator Mao Zedong were the funniest, sparking widespread backlash on Chinese social media in the following days. The controversy led several Chinese brands to end endorsement partnerships with him, while reports indicated that state broadcaster CCTV would stop airing content featuring the player and La Liga matches. Mbappé ultimately apologized for the comment.