Real Madrid says it is defending its players’ right to freedom of expression after Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. reportedly covered up a solidarity message for Ceuta ahead of Tuesday’s LaLiga match against Elche. Reports say both teams arrived for the game wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Todos somos caballas” (“We are all caballas”), a reference to a local nickname for people from the Spanish territory of Ceuta.
Cyprus Mail and Channel NewsAsia both describe that the issue centers on what the players did with the message, with the shirts’ lettering being obscured. The outlets frame the incident as a dispute over expression and public symbolism tied to Ceuta, rather than as a direct on-field dispute. Real Madrid’s response emphasizes differing opinions, positioning the matter within a broader discussion about how players can express views while participating in matches.
While the reporting agrees on the basic sequence—Real, Mbappé and Vinícius, the “Todos somos caballas” shirts, and Real’s defence—details of the context and how the obstruction is interpreted are presented without a shared additional clarification across the two sources.
