Photo via BBC Sport

Mbappe, Vini and Konate cover up Real's message of support for Ceuta

Ahead of their La Liga fixture at Martinez Valero on Tuesday, Real Madrid trio Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Ibrahima Konate rolled up their warmup tops to conceal text championing Ceuta. Both squads had stepped out donning shirts inscribed with "Todos somos caballas" ("We are all Ceutans") in solidarity with the North African Spanish territory, but the three Madrid players folded their garments to chest level, with Mbappe and Vinicius taking theirs off entirely prior to greetings while Konate kept his on longer.

The demonstration was organized following severe border turbulence in late July, when at least 72,000 migrants swam into Ceuta from Morocco—resulting in roughly 100 fatalities—leaving up to 5,000 displaced individuals living in makeshift shelters and sparking unrest among residents.

The league-wide tribute has seen mixed participation across Spanish football, with Barcelona choosing not to join the campaign after Real Madrid previously staged a card display featuring Ceuta's crest at the Santiago Bernabeu against on 8 September. Once play commenced, Madrid squandered a 2-0 advantage before securing a 3-2 victory over Elche through a stoppage-time strike from Carlos Espi, with Mbappe also getting on the scoresheet alongside starting winger Vinicius.