{
  "id": 8168194,
  "title": "Mbappe under fire from Spanish and French politicians over ‘We are all Ceutans’ t‑shirt gesture",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/mbappe-under-fire-from-spanish-and-french-politicians-over-we-are-all",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T03:53:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2026/09/18/mbappe-under-fire-from-spanish-and-french-politicians-over-we-are-all-ceutans-tshirt-gesture/235624"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid forward, has faced mounting criticism from conservative and far-right politicians in Spain and France after declining to fully wear a t-shirt supporting residents of Ceuta. The t-shirt featured the phrase \"We are all Ceutans,\" intended as a message of support for the Spanish territory grappling with a migration crisis. This incident occurred before Real Madrid's La Liga match on Tuesday, drawing attention to the ongoing debate over immigration in Spain. The controversy erupted as images of the three players wearing the partially rolled-up t-shirts circulated on social media. Political reactions were swift, with a spokesperson for the mainstream conservative Popular Party expressing \"deep shame\" over the incident, while a lawmaker from the far-right Vox party accused the players of outrage for feeling \"perfectly free\" to do so. Ultras Sur, a Real Madrid supporters' group associated with the far right, condemned the players' actions and called for public apologies. The migration issue has become a prominent political topic in Spain, particularly in the run-up to next year's parliamentary elections. The influx of migrants into Ceuta on July 30 and 31 resulted in scores of deaths and sparked European Union disputes over immigration. Mbappe responded to the criticism, stating he was in \"complete solidarity\" with Ceuta and the victims of the migration crisis. However, he also acknowledged his intention to express his thoughts on the broader issue of immigration. French far-right figures, including RN spokesperson Julien Odoul and European Parliament member Marion Marechal, also criticised Mbappe's gesture, questioning why public figures show solidarity with migrants but not Europeans affected by the crisis. The row has become entwined with Spain's broader political debate over migration, with conservative parties accusing the Socialist Prime Minister's government of failing to protect Spanish sovereignty in Ceuta. Meanwhile, the Socialist government has defended a more open approach to irregular immigration, launching a scheme to grant legal status to around 500,000 irregular migrants already living in Spain.",
  "summary": "MADRID, Sept 18 — Kylian Mbappe has come under mounting criticism from conservative and far-right politicians in S...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}