Mbappe and Vinicius Roll Up Ceuta Support Shirts Before Real Madrid Win at Elche

Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate rolled up their pre-match T-shirts before Real Madrid's game at Elche on Tuesday, covering up a message of support for the people of Ceuta.

Players from both teams walked out at Elche's Martinez Valero stadium wearing white shirts that read "Todos somos caballas," which translates to "We are all Ceutans," along with other references to the Spanish autonomous city. Most players wore theirs as intended, but Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate had them pulled up to chest height, hiding part of the slogan.

Mbappe and Vinicius took their shirts off completely before the pre-match handshake. Konate kept his on a little longer. The rest of the players on both sides, including the Elche squad, wore the shirts throughout the pre-match formalities.

Ceuta sits on the North African coast, bordering Morocco and cut off from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar. The city has been at the center of a migration crisis since late July, when at least 72,000 migrants crossed over from Morocco in just two days. Most swam around a border fence to get in, and Ceuta's mayor says at least 100 people died during the crossing.

While the majority have since left, as many as 5,000 people are still living in makeshift camps or sleeping on the streets and beaches. That's led to tension in the city, with some locals raising safety concerns and even destroying shelters or blocking aid meant for the migrants.

Real Madrid have backed Ceuta before. Ahead of their Champions League game against Inter Milan at the Bernabeu on September 8, fans in the south stand held up cards showing the city's coat of arms, and the rest of the stadium applauded in support.

Representatives for Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate have been asked to comment on why they chose to cover up the message.

👉 Vinicius, Mbappé y Konaté no enseñan el mensaje de ánimo a Ceuta.

👉 Ambos futbolistas se colocaron mal la camiseta sin que se vea el 'Todos somos Caballas'. pic.twitter.com/XkrhUDS8XQ

— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) September 15, 2026

Vinicius diciéndole a Mbappe como ha de ponerse la camiseta... Imagina ser el presidente de un club, siendo un tradicional de cojones, y comerle los huevos a estos dos por lo que sea. pic.twitter.com/czO5UhfgG0

— GxdCabrxn (@GxdCabron) September 15, 2026

The gesture came just before a wild night on the pitch. Real Madrid gave up a two-goal lead but fought back to beat Elche 3-2, with Carlos Espi netting the winner deep into stoppage time. Mbappe was on the scoresheet, while Vinicius started the match.

Not every club has joined the campaign. Barcelona chose not to take part at all, even as players in other La Liga fixtures wore the Ceuta shirts as intended.