Mbappé and Vinícius obscure Ceuta message on shirts before Elche v Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior rolled up and partially obscured the message on T-shirts supporting Ceuta before Real Madrid's LaLiga EA Sports match against Elche at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero in Elche on September 15, 2026. The players removed the shirts prior to the customary pre-match handshakes, a gesture that has prompted widespread comment.
Ceuta, a small Spanish city on the North African coast, was overwhelmed by a mass crossing of some 80,000 people, mostly from neighboring Morocco, in late July. The shirts read “Todos somos caballas,” meaning in local Ceuta slang “We are all from Ceuta,” with caballa (literally “mackerel”) used locally to mean a resident. Ceuta is one of two Spanish territories on the North African coast, along with Melilla, and has been in Spanish possession since 1580. The initiative to wear the shirts was organised as a show of support for the city.
Mbappé, Vinícius and teammate Ibrahima Konaté put on the shirts before the game, rolling them up to their chests so that some of the words were obscured; they removed the shirts before they shook hands with the Elche players and the referee. Real Madrid won the match 3-2. The players did not speak about the gesture immediately after the game.
Mbappé addressed the issue in an interview published on Wednesday (September 17, 2026) with a Spanish sports newspaper and said: “The first thing I want to say is that I stand in full solidarity with Ceuta and all the victims. Because before being a player, I am a human being. But I also wanted to acknowledge and show support for all the migrants who have lost their lives and those facing harsh conditions. “It was a difficult position to be in, because people might think I am against the people of Ceuta. But no, absolutely not. I have nothing against them, and I support them 100% in my thoughts. But I also wanted to acknowledge everyone who is suffering. Ultimately, I am human, and I don't want to rank one person's suffering above another's.”
The gesture has generated an outpouring of comments across Spanish media and social platforms, with some interpreting it as solidarity with migrants and others criticising it for not appearing to fully back the Spanish citizens of Ceuta. Jorge Calabrés, a journalist with the online newspaper El Español, wrote that “I am outraged by Mbappé, Vinícius and Konaté. You are in Real Madrid, not just any club. Support for Ceuta is not a political or religious issue.” Sports commentator Santiago Segurola defended the players on Onda Cero radio, saying: “The businessmen behind this are idiots. They are completely out of bounds and put the players in an awkward situation, making them position themselves. Now people are holding the players accountable.”
The shirts were made and distributed by a business association representing companies in the eastern region of Valencia. LaLiga said it approved the gesture in accordance with the standard procedure applicable to any ceremonial gesture before a match, and both Elche and Real Madrid gave their approval. Real Madrid said the shirts were to “show support for Ceuta,” which is still struggling to provide for several thousand migrants who remain in the city.
Players for other clubs also wore the shirts before matches: the night before Elche hosted Real Madrid, the players taking the field for Real Betis at Villarreal wore them. Real Betis forward Abde Ezzalzouli, who plays for Morocco and moved with his family to Spain when he was a child, was criticised by some Moroccan fans on social media; he wrote that he would not apologise and that the shirt had no political aim nor intended to show “disdain for the Moroccan people.” He added: “It was a shirt with a social message of support for a city and its inhabitants, who, regardless of their nationality, are going through a complicated situation. I will continue to hold my head high and represent my roots with pride and a sense of sacrifice.” Vinícius has previously been at the centre of social debate in Spain over racism directed at him by opposing fans, and Mbappé's mother is of Algerian descent while his father immigrated from Cameroon to France, where the striker was born in Paris.
The wider Ceuta crisis, during which some 140 people died crossing the frontier via the sea, has become a dominant political talking point in Spain. Far-right and conservative opposition parties are hoping to leverage it in national elections next year and it has led many in Spain to question the government's policy of moving closer to Rabat, all with the backdrop of the two countries preparing to host the 2030 World Cup along with Portugal.