Soccer Stars Obscure Support Message for Spanish City

Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Ibrahima Konate rolled up their pre-game T-shirts on Tuesday to obscure a message of support for the Spanish city of Ceuta ahead of Real Madrid's match against Elche. The players' actions contrasted with their teammates and opponents, who wore the shirts fully.

Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city located on the North African coast bordering Morocco, has been the focus of a wider show of support following a significant migration crisis. In late July, thousands of individuals entered Ceuta from Morocco, with many swimming around a border fence. According to figures from Ceuta's mayor, at least 100 people died during these crossings, and while most individuals were returned, up to 5,000 remained in makeshift camps or on the city's streets and beaches, leading to unrest and local concerns about safety.

The T-shirts worn by the players displayed the slogan "Todos somos caballas," which translates to "We are all Ceutans," along with references to the city. While Mbappe, Vinicius, and Konate had their shirts rolled up to chest height, obscuring part of the slogan, they later removed the shirts entirely before the pre-match handshake. Konate kept his shirt on for a longer duration.

This was not the first instance of Real Madrid showing solidarity with Ceuta. On September 8, during a Champions League game against Inter Milan, supporters displayed cards featuring Ceuta's coat of arms, and the stadium observed a moment of applause.

The differing approaches among players and clubs to the Ceuta initiative were highlighted by this event. Barcelona did not participate in the gesture, while players at other La Liga fixtures wore the shirts as intended.

Real Madrid went on to win the match against Elche 3-2, with a late goal from Carlos Espi. Mbappe was among the scorers for Real Madrid, and Vinicius started the game.

Representatives for the players were contacted for comment.