China made Mbappé apologise - but many don't know exactly what he said

China's sophisticated censorship system, which cuts 1.4 billion people off from the global internet, meant many didn't know exactly what had happened.

The accusation of "hurting the feelings of the Chinese people" alone seemed enough to trigger a tsunami of anger, amplified by social media algorithms and a heavily controlled internet, where people are wary of disagreeing with the majority view.

It wasn't long before Mbappé, one of the biggest football stars in the world, said he was "sincerely sorry" for his "ill-judged" comment. His club, Real Madrid, and the Spanish league La Liga, also issued apologies. China is a huge market for the world's most popular sport.