Kylian Mbappe Explains Ceuta Shirt Gesture, Backs Migrants and Locals
Last update: September 17, 2026
Disclaimer: This website may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. We only recommend products or services that we personally use and believe will add value to our readers. Your support is appreciated!
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe covered up a support message for Ceuta and now he has told fans why it was about humanity not taking sides.
Real Madrid players came out before Tuesdays game against Elche wearing T shirts that read Todos somos Caballas, We are all Caballas, a nickname for people from Ceuta. That is the Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast, right on the border with Morocco and cut off from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar.
Mbappe, with teammates Vinicius Jr and Ibrahima Konate, rolled up his shirt to partly hide the slogan and it got people talking.
Mbappe said he wanted to be clear. It was the clubs decision to wear the shirt, players had to wear it. He said he stands in full solidarity with Ceuta and all the victims because before he is a player he is a human being. But he also wanted to spare a thought for migrants who have died trying to reach there and who live in harsh conditions.
People might think he is against Ceuta, but he said absolutely not. He supports them 100 percent. He just did not want to prioritise one form of suffering over another. It breaks his heart to see people suffering, he wants to send positivity and peace.
More than 100 people died in July when tens of thousands tried to cross into Ceuta, most swimming round the border fence. Ceuta mayor put the figure at at least 100 dead on 30 and 31 July when about 72000 crossed.
Most returned but around 5000 remain in makeshift camps, sleeping on streets and beaches. Locals have raised safety concerns, some shelters were destroyed and aid blocked.
Ceuta is tiny, about 85000 people, but it sits at the centre of Europes migration debate. What happens there affects Spanish politics, Morocco relations and how La Liga clubs handle social messages.
Spain has held Ceuta since the 1500s. It has long been a flashpoint for crossings. Real Madrid have backed Ceuta before. On 8 September before Inter Milan at the Bernabeu, fans in the south stand held up cards with the city coat of arms and the stadium applauded. This week was a wider La Liga initiative, though Barcelona did not take part.
Why cover the shirt? Mbappe says it was a personal gesture to acknowledge both sides. The club told players to wear it, he obeyed but added his own signal for migrants.
Expect La Liga and Real Madrid to clarify guidance on these kinds of solidarity shirts. Ceuta remains tense with thousands still camped and aid groups calling for calm and proper support.
#Mbappe #RealMadrid #Ceuta #LaLiga #Elche #ViniciusJr #FootballNews #Migration #Spain #Humanity
