Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Ibrahima Konate chose to roll up their pre-match T-shirts during Real Madrid's Copa del Rey fixture at Elche on Tuesday, concealing a solidarity message in support of the people of Ceuta.

Players from both Real Madrid and Elche walked onto the pitch at Estadio Martínez Valero wearing white T-shirts printed with the phrase "Todos somos caballas" — translated as "We are all Ceutans" — along with references to the Spanish autonomous city located on the North African coast, bordering Morocco.

While most players wore the shirts in full, Mbappe, Vinicius, and Konate had theirs folded up to roughly chest height, obscuring the slogan. Mbappe and Vinicius went further, removing their shirts entirely ahead of the pre-match handshake, while Konate kept his on for a longer period. Their team-mates, as well as the Elche players, observed the full pre-match formalities wearing the shirts as intended.

Real Madrid's ongoing support for Ceuta

This was not the first occasion on which Real Madrid have expressed solidarity with Ceuta. Ahead of their UEFA Champions League group-stage clash with Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu on 8 September, supporters in the south stand held up cards displaying the city's coat of arms, while the rest of the stadium responded with applause.

The campaign followed a severe migration crisis in Ceuta, after at least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the city on 30 and 31 July. Most made the crossing by swimming around a border fence, and at least 100 people died during the attempt, according to figures provided by Ceuta's mayor.

Although the majority subsequently returned, as many as 5,000 individuals remain in makeshift camps or on the city's streets and beaches. The situation has sparked unrest among locals, some of whom have destroyed shelters and blocked aid deliveries to the migrants.

A divided response among clubs

The episode exposed differing attitudes among La Liga clubs toward the Ceuta initiative. Barcelona did not participate, while players at other La Liga fixtures wore the shirts as the campaign intended.

Representatives for Mbappe, Vinicius, and Konate were contacted for comment.

The pre-match controversy preceded a dramatic evening for Real Madrid, who came from behind after squandering a two-goal lead to defeat Elche 3-2, with Carlos Espi netting the decisive goal in stoppage time. Mbappe was among the scorers, while Vinicius started the match.