‘Todos somos caballas’: Why Kylian Mbappe is under fire from far-right groups in Spain over his shirt

LaLiga – Elche vs Real Madrid – Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, Elche, Spain – September 15, 2026. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe pulls out a T-shirt with the slogan of solidarity with the people of Ceuta Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has come under fire from conservative and far-right politicians in Spain and France after he did not fully wear a shirt supporting the people of Ceuta, Spain’s North African territory, which is struggling with a migration crisis.Immigration has become one of Spain’s biggest political issues in recent months after large numbers of migrants entered Ceuta in July. The debate has also reached football ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.The controversy began before Real Madrid’s LaLiga game against Elche on Tuesday. Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and fellow Frenchman Ibrahima Konate partially rolled up T-shirts that read “We are all Ceutans” in support of the people living in Ceuta, a Spanish territory bordering Morocco.Images of the three players quickly spread on social media and sparked political backlash.A spokeswoman for Spain’s opposition People’s Party (PP) said she felt “deeply ashamed” of the incident, while a lawmaker from the far-right Vox party said Spaniards were “quite free to feel outraged by three millionaires who live in Spain and then do not support the Spanish”.Ultras Sur, the far-right linked Real Madrid supporters’ group banned from the Santiago Bernabéu, called the players’ actions “unacceptable” and demanded a public apology.The incident comes after more than 70,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31 in a massive influx that left dozens dead and sparked a row within the European Union over immigration.Most of the migrants returned within hours, but thousands remained in difficult conditions in the city, staying in temporary shelters and makeshift camps. The situation led to protests by local residents, some of which were supported by far-right groups.Responding to the criticism, Mbappe said he stood by the people of Ceuta while remembering the migrants who lost their lives.“I was in total solidarity with Ceuta and all the victims.”“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,” he told sports daily AS.Real Madrid also defended the right of its players to decide on their own shirts.Before the match, both Real Madrid and Elche players came out wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Todos somos caballas” (“We are all mackerels”), caballas being the nickname for the people of Ceuta.Mbappe and Vinicius rolled up their shirts so the message could not be seen before taking them off as they left the tunnel, while Konate held his shirt in his hands.A Real Madrid representative said the club had agreed to Elche’s request to show solidarity with Ceuta, but respected different opinions within the team and allowed each player to decide whether to wear the shirt or not.