Overview
- Photographs from the La Liga match with Elche showed Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté rolling up training shirts that bore the message of support for Ceuta, which most teammates wore visibly.
- LaLiga president Javier Tebas publicly criticised the players for not wearing the shirts properly and Ultras Sur, a Real Madrid supporters’ group, demanded public apologies from the three players.
- Mbappé told Spanish media he had “complete solidarity with Ceuta and all the victims” and said he also wanted to acknowledge migrants who died, explaining his choice to obscure the shirt’s message.
- Real Madrid defended players’ freedom to decide what they wear and pointed to earlier club gestures for Ceuta, while no formal club sanctions or league disciplinary measures have been announced.
- Florentino Pérez travelled to Ceuta on Friday, saying the visit had been planned weeks earlier, as the row keeps political and reputational pressure on the club over how to handle a sensitive humanitarian issue that began with mass crossings in July.