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Controversy over Support T-Shirts for Ceuta in Elche-Real Madrid Match

The controversy arose before the match between Elche and Real Madrid due to the actions of some players towards Ceuta.

17 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Controversy over Support T-Shirts for Ceuta in Elche-Real Madrid Match — Archive photoPhoto: Bartolomé de las Casas · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

The match between Real Madrid and Elche, which ended in a 3-2 victory for the visitors, was marked by controversy related to support t-shirts for Ceuta. Some Real Madrid players, including Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior, chose not to fully display the message on their shirts, which led to criticism on social media.

According to reports, the footballers lifted their shirts, partially covering the design that read "Todos somos caballas," referring to the inhabitants of Ceuta. This action caused significant uproar among fans and support groups, who interpreted the gesture as a lack of respect towards the situation in the region.

The Peña Madridista de Ceuta responded to the controversy by filing an official protest with the club, expressing their dissatisfaction with the players' attitude. Meanwhile, outlets like Clarín reported that Mbappé defended his gesture through a statement to the newspaper AS, where he expressed his solidarity with migrants.

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez announced that he would travel to Ceuta to meet with Juan Jesús Vivas, the president of the Ceuta government. This trip is scheduled for Friday and is part of an effort to address the discontent generated by the players' actions during the match.

Pérez's visit will also include Emilio Butragueño and José Martínez 'Pirri,' a former club player who is originally from Ceuta. This meeting is expected to be significant given the context of the migration crisis and the reactions to the t-shirts.

The main clubs in the league reacted in various ways: FC Barcelona made no public proposal to support Ceuta, while Atlético de Madrid showed their support with a banner. The controversy continues to attract attention from fans and media outlets.

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