China's storm of anger continues to batter Kylian: instant punishment expels Mbappé from the virtual world

"Respect must always be present"

China's fury at Kylian Mbappé shows no sign of fading, with the Real Madrid star having sparked a major crisis through a single sarcastic remark.

A video clip of Mbappé joking about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong has gone viral and triggered a wave of anger across the country. Critics accuse the forward of offending national sentiment and overstepping the mark in his treatment of historical symbols.

The football video game FC ONLINE has now pulled all content related to Mbappé, according to the website "Foot Mercato", a direct response to the row over his comments.

In a statement on its official WeChat account, the game said it had "immediately taken steps to remove content related to the player from various external channels", while strongly condemning any statements or behaviours that would offend the sentiments of the Chinese people.

The controversy has reached the world of video games.

An update will roll out to apply the changes, the statement explained, though no date has been set.

PES has followed suit, announcing disciplinary measures against Mbappé over the same row.

The Chinese versions of the game, PES Online and PES Mobile, confirmed in a statement that they would suspend all promotion of the player inside and outside the game, and remove the characters and cards associated with him.

The company strongly condemned statements that would offend the sentiments of the Chinese people.

Its statement read: "Sport transcends national boundaries, but respect must always remain present".

Further measures may follow, the company added.