Kylian Mbappe has apologised for his “ill-judged” comment linked to Mao Zedong that angered Chinese football fans and cost him at least two sponsors in the country.

The French football star was dropped by two major brands in China on Tuesday after a video circulated online in which the French football superstar apparently joked about a former Chinese leader.

While Mbappe did not name Mao in the video, he appeared to say the funniest internet meme he had seen was of his face digitally altered onto that of “some guy – I think he’s a Chinese dictator”.

“My comment was ill-judged and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappe wrote in a statement published on his social media accounts.

The 27-year-old said he “reacted to an image of myself” during the interview.

“I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” Mbappe went on to add. “This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.”

The statement was published in French, Mandarin and English.

The video, which shows Mbappe preparing to go on air, was purportedly filmed in April, as verified by Al Jazeera.

The clip was shared by French football podcast The Bridge and widely circulated on social media on Monday.