Kylian Mbappé, a Real Madrid player in Spain's LaLiga

French football star Kylian Mbappé apologized to the Chinese people on Tuesday after his erroneous remarks triggered widespread criticism in China, while the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said it had lodged serious representations with Real Madrid and demanded a formal public apology from the club.

"My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," Mbappé said in a statement on Tuesday.

"I apologize to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry," he added.

The apology came as the controversy continued to escalate, with at least three Chinese companies - beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground - announcing the termination of their commercial partnerships with the Real Madrid forward.

The controversy also prompted China's state broadcaster CMG to suspend broadcasts of LaLiga matches, all games featuring Mbappé, and advertisements endorsing the player, CMG said. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the CFA said it attached great importance to the incident and had immediately lodged serious representations with Real Madrid, demanding that the player involved and the club issue formal public apologies.

The association's statement puts the focus not only on the player's apology but also on the responsibility of his club, one of the most prominent teams in world football, in addressing conduct by its players that causes offence internationally.

RedNote, a Chinese social media platform that had a cooperation contract with Mbappé in 2024, said Tuesday that it was reviewing and removing related content and materials.

Real Madrid has not made any official statement regarding the issue as of press time on Tuesday.

LaLiga also issued a statement on Tuesday expressing regret over the offence caused to Chinese fans. It said Mbappé's comments had been made in a personal capacity and did not represent the league.

La Liga President Javier Tebas also apologized to Chinese fans, saying the league would work with clubs and players to strengthen cultural awareness and respect.

"I take on the responsibility of working with our clubs and players to strengthen awareness of and respect for different cultures," Tebas said. 

Zhu Meng, a Beijing-based sports commentator, said Mbappé had responded relatively quickly to the controversy with his apology, but it remained unclear whether the apology could repair the damage caused by his remarks. 

"From a commercial perspective, all the brands that had partnerships with him have chosen to distance themselves. Once market trust is damaged, it is difficult to restore it quickly," Zhu told the Global Times.

"Even if his performance on the pitch remains strong, it will still take time before he can regain his commercial value in the Chinese market," Zhu noted.

Across Chinese social media on Tuesday, calls for Mbappé to apologize spread rapidly. Some users also called for a boycott of the footballer.

Commentary in Chinese media also questioned the conduct of public figures seeking commercial opportunities in China while making remarks perceived as disrespectful to Chinese people.

"The Chinese market embraces the world with open arms, welcoming celebrities, athletes, businesses and brands from all countries to share in its development opportunities," Jimu News said in a commentary.