Kylian Mbappé says he did not want to rank one form of suffering over another.
The France striker gave his first public account of the gesture to Spanish sports daily AS, a week after Real Madrid’s players wore a white solidarity shirt for Ceuta before their La Liga match against Elche on 15 September.
“Before being a player, I am a human being,” Mbappé told AS.
He said he had “complete solidarity with Ceuta and all the victims”, but wanted the campaign to reach further.
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“I wanted to have a gesture and a thought for all the immigrants who have lost their lives and who are also living in harsh conditions.”
“I didn’t want to prioritise one suffering over another,” Mbappé said, insisting he wanted to “send a message of positivity and peace.”
Mbappé also had a message for those angered by the gesture.
“I have nothing against them, and I support them 100 per cent.”
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Rolled up to the chest
Both squads walked out on 15 September wearing white shirts printed with “Todos somos caballas”, a slogan that borrows Ceuta residents’ own nickname for themselves and translates roughly as “We are all mackerels”.
Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté rolled the fabric up to their chests, obscuring most of the message. Their teammates and the Elche players wore it as intended.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on Morocco’s northern coast, has been at the centre of Spain’s migration debate after a mass crossing from Morocco this summer.
Vox and PP lead the Spanish backlash
The three players drew immediate criticism from conservative and far-right politicians on both sides of the Pyrenees.
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A spokesperson for Spain’s Popular Party said she felt “deep shame” over the incident. A lawmaker from the far-right Vox party said Spaniards were “perfectly free to feel outraged by three millionaires who live in Spain and then do not support Spaniards”.
In France, National Rally spokesperson Julien Odoul and far-right MEP Marion Maréchal attacked the gesture, arguing public figures were quick to speak up for migrants but slower to back European citizens affected by the crisis.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas separately criticised the trio for not wearing the shirt in full.
Ultras Sur demand public apologies
On 17 September, Real Madrid supporters’ group Ultras Sur, long associated with the club’s far-right fringe, called for public apologies from the three players.
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“We are certain that every Real Madrid supporter and every Spaniard is ashamed of the image given by these three individuals,” the statement read.
The group called the trio’s behaviour “unacceptable” and criticised Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez for staying silent.
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