Carvajal leaves Real Madrid

Real Madrid CF captain Dani Carvajal will leave the club at the end of the season, bringing an end to a remarkable 23-year association with the Spanish giants. 

The 34-year-old right-back is set to depart when his contract expires in June, closing the curtain on one of the most successful careers in Real Madrid history.

Carvajal joined Madrid’s academy in 2002 before making his senior breakthrough in 2013 following a one-year spell at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. 

Real Madrid activated a buy-back clause to bring him back to the Santiago Bernabeu, and he quickly established himself as a key figure in the first team. 

Over the course of his career, he made 450 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 14 goals and cementing his place among the club’s modern legends.

The Spanish defender leaves with an extraordinary collection of silverware, having won 27 trophies during his time at the club. 

Carvajal lifted the UEFA Champions League six times, becoming one of only five players in history to achieve the feat and the only player to start in all six finals he won. 

He also claimed four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, six Club World Cups, five UEFA Super Cups, and four Spanish Super Cups.

Carvajal also enjoyed success on the international stage with the Spanish national football team. 

Since making his debut in 2014, he has earned 51 caps and helped Spain win the UEFA Nations League in 2023 as well as the UEFA European Championship in 2024. 

Individually, he was named in the FIFPro World XI in 2024 and was voted man of the match in the 2024 Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund after scoring the opening goal.

Injuries, however, have disrupted the latter stages of his career. 

Carvajal suffered a cruciate ligament injury in October 2024 before sustaining another serious knee injury a year later, limiting his appearances this season. 

The arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool FC last summer also signalled a transition at right-back, with the England international becoming the preferred choice under manager Alvaro Arbeloa.