Real Madrid players Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté have drawn attention after appearing to obscure a solidarity message displayed on shirts worn before Tuesday night’s La Liga meeting with Elche.
Players from both teams came onto the pitch wearing shirts bearing the words “Todos somos caballas”, translated as “We are all mackerels”, a reference to the people of Ceuta. The gesture was intended to show solidarity with the Spanish enclave on the North African coast amid tensions surrounding migration.
However, Mbappé and Vinícius appeared to roll up their shirts, preventing the message from being clearly displayed. Konaté also did not fully present the slogan in the same way as most of the players. Reports from the tunnel showed the trio taking a different approach to the pre-match gesture before the game began.
The initiative was promoted by the Valencian Business Association and had been adopted by several clubs in the region. Real Madrid and Elche were among the teams participating in Tuesday’s fixture, while Barcelona had previously chosen not to wear the shirts for their own match.
The message comes against the backdrop of the migration situation in Ceuta. More than 70,000 irregular border crossings from Morocco into the Spanish territory were recorded during the influx in July. Although many of those who crossed have since returned, thousands have remained in difficult conditions, keeping the issue at the centre of public debate in Spain.
The actions of the Real Madrid players subsequently generated debate over whether footballers should participate in gestures connected to politically sensitive social issues.
Real Madrid defended the players, saying it supported the initiative while respecting each player’s individual decision over whether to take part in the symbolic gesture. The club’s position was that players should have freedom regarding their participation.
The incident also comes amid wider controversy surrounding the Ceuta message. Real Betis player Ez Abde previously faced online criticism after wearing the shirt, later stressing that his participation was intended as support for a social cause rather than a political position.
Despite the pre-match controversy, the focus eventually shifted to the football as Real Madrid secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Elche, with Carlos Espí scoring a late winner after Madrid had surrendered a two-goal advantage.
