Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal will leave the club at the conclusion of the season, ending a historic 23-year stint with the Spanish giants.
The Spanish club confirmed the decision in an official statement on Monday, referring to the veteran defender as “one of the greatest legends of our club and world football.”
The 34-year-old leaves the Santiago Bernabéu as one of the most decorated players in the club’s history, having won 27 trophies, including six UEFA Champions League wins, six Club World Cups, four La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey titles.
Carvajal is one of only five football players in history to have won six European Cups.
He joined Real Madrid’s renowned La Fábrica program in 2002 and spent ten years in the junior system before a brief stint with Bayer Leverkusen in 2012.
Madrid re-signed him a year later, and he went on to establish himself as one of the club’s most significant players throughout his 13 seasons with the senior team.
Carvajal scored 14 goals in 450 games for Los Blancos, cementing his reputation as a symbol of consistency, leadership, and achievement during one of the club’s most successful periods.
Individually, the defender was named to the FIFPro World XI in 2024, earned the Best FIFA Men’s World XI award that year, and was voted Player of the Match in the 2024 Champions League final after scoring.
Carvajal has 51 caps for Spain, helping the team win the Euro 2024 and the UEFA Nations League in 2023.
However, sources in Spain say that the defender may miss the FIFA World Cup this summer due to injuries sustained during a poor season for Real Madrid.
Los Blancos are destined to go without a major trophy for the second year in a row, with Carvajal scheduled to play his final game for the club this weekend against Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez praised the outgoing captain, praising him as a lasting emblem of the club.
“Dani Carvajal is a legend and an emblem of Real Madrid and its academy,” Pérez said.
“Carvajal has consistently embodied the values of Real Madrid in an exemplary manner. This is and always will be home.”
Real Madrid will hold a special tribute ceremony for Carvajal during Saturday’s final La Liga game of the season.
