Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0; CCTV did not air match, AFP reports

Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0 in La Liga. Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomandé scored for Real Madrid, according to France 24 and BBC Sport.

BBC Sport reported that Jude Bellingham scored the third goal. France 24 does not name the third scorer. According to BBC Sport, the win leaves Real Madrid three points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga. France 24 reported that Real Madrid have won nine of their last 10 games after a difficult start to the season.

Broadcast in China

The match was not shown on either of the two sports channels of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, according to AFP as cited by Al Jazeera. The match was played on Sunday and kicked off at 15:15 GMT. Al Jazeera reported that none of the other matchweek 11 games had been broadcast live on Chinese public television at the time of its report.

According to Al Jazeera, China Media Group (CMG), which oversees CCTV, said it suspended La Liga broadcasts on 26 October. This followed the wide online spread of a video of Mbappé's remarks about Mao Zedong. The video dates from April. Al Jazeera quoted Mbappé as saying in it: "some guy. I think he’s a Chinese dictator."

Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga each apologised, according to Al Jazeera. CCTV's sports website reported that CMG had acknowledged the apologies.

Other La Liga matches, including Barcelona's 6-1 win over Alaves on Saturday, were shown on Migu, a streaming service owned by state-owned China Mobile, Al Jazeera said, citing unnamed reports. The Real Madrid match did not appear to be shown there.

Al Jazeera also reported that major Chinese brands cancelled sponsorship deals with Mbappé after his comments. The reports do not name the brands.

What each side says

• CMG: Apologies from La Liga, Mbappé and Real Madrid were "an absolute prerequisite" for moving past the controversy, according to Al Jazeera.
• China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: It took Mbappé's apology "seriously", according to Al Jazeera.
• Kylian Mbappé: He apologised for what he called "ill-judged" comments, according to Al Jazeera.
• La Liga: It said it deeply regretted Mbappé's remarks, according to Al Jazeera.
• Real Madrid: The club apologised for the remarks, following La Liga, according to Al Jazeera.
• Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid coach: On Saturday he said the club had "done our part" to put the controversy behind them, according to Al Jazeera.

What remains unclear

Only Al Jazeera, citing AFP, reports that CCTV did not broadcast the match. The France 24 and BBC Sport reports do not mention the broadcast situation. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any statement from CCTV or CMG about this match, or about when or whether La Liga broadcasts will resume. It is unclear whether talks between CMG and La Liga or Real Madrid have begun. Al Jazeera said it contacted La Liga for comment and had not received a response by the time of publication.

Analysis

The result itself is well supported, while the situation in China rests on a single line of reporting, AFP as cited by Al Jazeera. CMG has acknowledged the apologies and described them as a prerequisite, which could point to a path toward resuming broadcasts. However, the reports reviewed by Vocemundi include no timeline or confirmation of talks. Several scenarios remain open: a negotiated return of La Liga to CCTV, continued partial access through platforms such as Migu, or a longer suspension. Each would carry different consequences for the league's audience and commercial interests in China. Further statements from CMG or La Liga would clarify the outlook.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.

Transparency note: objections from our AI reviewers

Objections raised before publication:

• Vocemundi automatic checks: Tribunal: no quorum; support: 0

No reviewer declined to review it.

Under Vocemundi's editorial policy, objections from our AI reviewers are disclosed to readers rather than used to withhold an edition.