Four days after Kylian Mbappé sparked a public backlash over his remarks regarding China, On Running broke its silence with a carefully worded statement that avoided addressing whether the Swiss sportswear brand intends to end its commercial partnership with the French football star, Guancha reported.
A Ten-Year Bet on the Global Stage
On September 18, On announced its formal entry into the football sector by signing Mbappé as a global brand ambassador in a reported 10-year deal that includes cash compensation and equity. The partnership was designed to jump-start the brand’s football footwear and apparel division, with Mbappé joining former French international Thierry Henry and young player Sydney Schertenleib in a product co-creation setup. For a running brand competing against traditional giants like Nike and Adidas, securing the captain of the France men’s national team and a two-time World Cup Golden Boot winner served as a high-profile shortcut to market recognition.
Several Chinese brands, including Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu and Milkground, have ended their partnerships with French football star Kylian Mbappé following controversial remarks about China.Mengniu, On Running and Milkground have also removed Mbappé-related posts from their… pic.twitter.com/zIvycIbfiA
That momentum hit a wall on October 26 when Mbappé’s controversial remarks regarding China began circulating online. Dongpeng Beverage and its brand Bu Shuila, along with Mengniu and MilkGround, announced the termination of their partnerships on October 27, while social media platform Xiaohongshu noted its contract had naturally expired at the end of 2024. La Liga subsequently issued an apology regarding the incident, and Mbappé published a statement acknowledging his remarks were ill-advised, expressing deep respect for the Chinese people and their history.
Official Silence and Digital Scrubbing
Amid widespread speculation over whether On would follow suit and drop its newly signed ambassador, the brand’s response arrived four days later through its Asia-Pacific division. The statement read: All athletes’ remarks represent their personal views, and we are pleased to see Kylian Mbappé make an apology. We deeply respect the Chinese people and China’s rich cultural heritage. We are in communication with our partners and have no further comment at this time.
The statement notably omitted any clarification on the future of the sponsorship agreement.
Simultaneously, On adjusted its digital presence. The brand removed the dedicated “Football” category from the primary navigation of its global website, shifting the term under a broader “Sports” menu alongside the disappearance of promotional imagery featuring Mbappé. On China’s official online channels, all references and promotional materials associated with the player were absent. However, the global site continued to display “Kylian’s Edit” product selections—featuring items such as the Cloudtilt and Club Collective-T—though product pages omitted his photograph. On did not respond to inquiries regarding the status of the collaboration.
The Value of the Chinese Market in Balance
The hesitation to make a definitive commercial decision stems from On’s heavy reliance on the Asia-Pacific region for its financial growth. During the second quarter of 2026, On reported global net sales of 850.3 million Swiss francs, representing a 13.5 percent year-over-year increase. Net sales in the Asia-Pacific region surged 43.1 percent to 170.5 million Swiss francs, climbing 54.7 percent on a constant-currency basis and accounting for 20 percent of global sales. Company financial reports attributed this expansion primarily to strong performances in China, Japan, and South Korea.
Physical retail expansion mirrors those financial metrics. As of March, On operated more than 80 retail stores across China, with plans to reach 100 locations by the end of 2026. The company also previously stated that approximately half of its planned 20 to 25 annual global direct-to-consumer store openings are slated for China. While the brand can theoretically seek out alternative football endorsers, replacing a retail market of this scale and growth velocity presents a far more complex challenge as On positions its premium-priced footwear against competitors including Nike, Adidas, Hoka, Salomon, Saucony, and domestic brands such as Anta, Li-Ning, and Xtep.
Financial Exposure in Uncharted Territory
The financial stakes extend beyond marketing optics into product development. On’s second-quarter marketing expenses rose 32.4 percent to 118.8 million Swiss francs, consuming 14 percent of net sales as the company invests in new categories. Because Mbappé is embedded directly into the co-creation of upcoming football footwear slated for a 2027 release, untangling the partnership involves more than canceling advertising campaigns—it requires restructuring a core pillar of the brand’s newly launched sports category. With its Americas segment growth slowing to 3.8 percent in the same fiscal period, On faces a delicate balancing act between maintaining its multi-year global strategy and managing consumer trust in one of its most lucrative overseas markets.
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