The Meaning Behind Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Konate T-Shirt Protest vs. Elche

Real Madrid trio Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté appeared to protest against a pregame display of support for the Spanish city of Ceuta, ahead of Tuesday’s win over Elche.

Ahead of kickoff at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, the players emerged from the tunnel sporting a white t-shirt with the slogan “todos somos caballas.” The message translates as “we are all mackerel,” the demonym given to people from Ceuta.

The planned action was part of an initiative by the Valencian Business Association to demonstrate “solidarity, closeness, and territorial and social cohesion” with Ceuta.

The Real Madrid trio wore the shirt rolled up, obscuring its message, before taking it off quickly after shaking hands with the opposition—a move that has courted controversy in Spain.

What Is the Ceuta Situation?

Kylian Mbappé — Ceuta is a hot-button issue in Spain. | Omar Arnau/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

The autonomous Spanish enclave, situated on the North African coast, became the center of an migration crisis in late July, when an estimated 80,000 people crossed the border illegally from Morocco.

By August 3, the Spanish government had reported that around 70,000 of the people who had entered Ceuta during the mass influx had voluntarily returned to Morocco. However, thousands are reported to have remained in the city as of early September, and the incident has fueled a crisis within Spain.

On September 2, Ceuta Day, thousands of people across Spain joined mass protests against the government’s handling of the situation and in support of Ceuta.

The issue remains a hot-button topic across the country and has taken on a political and symbolic dimension due to wider sensitivities surrounding immigration, Ceuta and the relations between Spain and Morocco.

Why Did Real Madrid Players Protest?

La camiseta en supuesto apoyo a Ceuta que han llevado hoy Elche y Real Madrid es de la patronal de empresarios valencianos (presidida por el naviero Vicente Boluda, que hace grandes negocios con Marruecos). El FC Barcelona se negó a llevarla contra el Levante. pic.twitter.com/axTBcKy8Li
— Fonsi Loaiza (@FonsiLoaiza) September 15, 2026

Before the match against Elche, Real Madrid announced on its official channels that it would be participating in the “show of solidarity with Ceuta.”

El Pais reports that the three players’ decision to roll up their shirts relates to “personal sensitivities” and “do not align with the club’s position.” AS adds that Real Madrid “defends the diversity of opinions and sensitivities within its dressing room and gave each player the individual freedom to choose whether or not to wear the shirt.”

The same t-shirt was also seen in the pre-match ahead of Barcelona’s 4–2 win over Levante. However, while all the Levante players wore them, Barça—as a team—refused to participate at all.

Meanwhile, Morocco international Ez Abde, who plays for Real Betis, received backlash on social media after opting to wear a similar shirt ahead of his side’s recent clash with Villarreal.

He later wrote on social media: “At no point was the shirt representing the people of Ceuta used for political purposes or to show contempt for my people, the Moroccan people. This was a shirt with a social message, in support of a population and its inhabitants, regardless of their nationality, who were experiencing a difficult situation.

“However, this is not an apology to anyone, and anyone who wishes to use this to question my love for my country is free to do so. I will continue to live each day with my head held high and will continue to represent my roots with pride and dedication.”

Madrid won Tuesday’s match against Elche 3–2, with Mbappé on the scoresheet. None of Mbappé, Konaté and Vinícius Jr. have yet commented on their decision to roll up the shirt.

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