Real Madrid Fan Group Demands Mbappe, Two Teammates Apologise Over Ceuta Tribute Shirt

A Real Madrid supporters’ group has called on Kylian Mbappe and two of his teammates to publicly apologise after they partially wore a tribute shirt supporting people in Ceuta ahead of the club’s La Liga match against Elche.

Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate were pictured with the shirts rolled up before Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory at Elche on Tuesday, unlike the rest of the players from both teams who wore the shirts fully.

The shirts carried the message “we are all Ceutans” in support of residents of Ceuta, the Spanish territory in North Africa that has recently experienced a major migration crisis.

Ultras Sur, a Real Madrid supporters’ group, criticised the three players and demanded public apologies for their actions.

“We are certain that every Real Madrid supporter and every Spaniard is ashamed of the image given by these three individuals,” the group said in a statement posted on X, describing their conduct as “unacceptable”.

Ultras Sur, which has frequently been associated with the far right, also criticised Real Madrid president Florentino Perez for his silence. The group has been at odds with Perez since it was banned from the Santiago Bernabeu more than a decade ago.

La Liga president Javier Tebas also criticised the players’ decision to partially wear the shirts, arguing that “putting it half on is the same as not wearing it”.

Mbappe, however, said his decision was also intended to express solidarity with migrants who had lost their lives while attempting to reach Ceuta. He told Spanish newspaper AS that he supported the people of Ceuta while also wanting to acknowledge the plight of migrants.

“The first thing I want to say is that I have complete solidarity with Ceuta and all the victims,” Mbappe said.

“But I also wanted to make a gesture and express my thoughts for all the immigrants who have lost their lives and who are also living in difficult conditions.”

Ceuta has faced an influx of migrants arriving from neighbouring Morocco, with local residents raising concerns about people sleeping on streets and beaches as humanitarian pressures increased.

Tens of thousands of migrants reportedly arrived in the Spanish territory on July 30 and 31, although most returned to Morocco shortly afterwards. Several thousand remained in Ceuta, contributing to tensions in the territory.