Most Criticized Players
Not every chart celebrates. This one tracks the players whose conduct drew the widest public backlash — sponsors walking, broadcasts pulled, apologies demanded. The Heat score is an editorial 0-100 index, not an official statistic.
Kylian Mbappé
Made offensive remarks about China in a podcast interview. Multiple sponsors terminated deals, La Liga broadcasts were pulled from Chinese TV, and public pressure forced a trilingual personal apology on Oct 27, followed by a club statement on Oct 28.
Oct 2026
Dean Huijsen
Reposted content mocking East Asians on Instagram. The apology appeared only on the club's Chinese Weibo account — never on his own or the club's global platforms — and no internal punishment was announced, drawing accusations of a double standard.
Feb 2026
Editor’s Notes
- Positions reflect the severity and reach of public backlash as of Oct 28, 2026 — including sponsor terminations, broadcast suspension and official apologies.
- The Heat score is an editorial 0-100 index combining incident severity, media reach and commercial consequences; it is not an official statistic.
- This tracker documents widely reported events only and expresses no view beyond them.
Last updated: 2026-10-28