Photo via BBC Sport

Mbappe says he 'stands with Ceuta' after T-shirt row

Kylian Mbappe has clarified his actions after folding his pre-match top to partly hide a slogan backing the Spanish territory of Ceuta ahead of Real Madrid's fixture against Elche. The capital club instructed squad members to sport garments displaying the phrase 'Todos somos Caballas'—using the local moniker for residents of the enclave situated in North Africa—following a mass border crossing in late July where upwards of 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco, leaving over a hundred people dead.

Mbappe, who tucked the shirt alongside teammates Vinicius Jr and Ibrahima Konate, stressed that he fully sympathizes with Ceuta's population but aimed to avoid minimizing the plight of migrants enduring brutal hardships.

Tensions have escalated inside the enclave, where approximately 5,000 migrants still dwell in makeshift quarters or on local coastlines, sparking resident unrest, attacks on shelters, and intercepted aid deliveries. The tribute followed an earlier demonstration at the Santiago Bernabeu on September 8 during a Champions League match against , where supporters unfurled mosaic cards displaying Ceuta's crest.