Sports journalist Ken Early said Kylian Mbappé was probably “as surprised as anybody” after a joke involving a meme depicting the Real Madrid forward as Mao Zedong sparked a reaction in China.

Early believes the controversy is unlikely to “cause serious economic problems” for the French footballer, despite him already losing two sponsors in the country.

He said the incident highlights the challenges sports leagues and clubs face when trying to “market to a global marketplace” while navigating different political regimes, where “any political statement” can have commercial consequences.

Early is a co-founder of Second Captains, where he also hosts a regular sports podcast of the same name.