Captain Dani Carvajal is set to depart from Real Madrid at the end of the ongoing season, as confirmed by the club on Monday.
The 34-year-old right-back is a product of Real Madrid’s youth academy and has solidified his place as one of the club’s all-time greats, amassing an impressive collection of 27 trophies, which includes a joint-record six Champions League titles.
The Spanish international has faced challenges with injuries over the past few seasons, having suffered a cruciate ligament tear in October 2024, followed by another significant knee injury the subsequent year, significantly reducing his participation this season.
“Real Madrid and our captain Dani Carvajal have mutually agreed to conclude a remarkable chapter of his tenure at our club at the end of the current season,” the club stated on Monday.
“We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to one of the greatest legends of our club and of world football. Carvajal stands as one of only five players in football history to have won six European Cups and has been a key member of a team that has enjoyed one of the most illustrious eras in our history.
“Real Madrid extends its best wishes to Dani Carvajal and his family as they embark on this new chapter in their lives. A tribute to him will be held at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium this Saturday during our final LaLiga match of the season.”
Real Madrid acquired Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool last summer as Carvajal’s replacement at right-back, and a combination of competition for starting positions and injuries has restricted the Spain international to just 892 minutes of play in LaLiga this season.
Coach Álvaro Arbeloa dismissed rumors of a rift with Carvajal last month, attributing the player’s limited game time to “sporting reasons.”
“[Carvajal] may be the most significant academy product in the club’s history,” Arbeloa remarked.
As a child, Carvajal participated in the ceremony commemorating the groundbreaking of Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex, alongside club icon Alfredo di Stéfano.
After progressing through Madrid’s academy, he spent a season at Bayer Leverkusen before rejoining the club in 2013, quickly establishing himself as a regular starter.
His remarkable tally of 27 trophies—just one shy of Madrid’s record holder, Luka Modric—includes six European Cups, six Club World Cups, five UEFA Super Cups, four LaLiga titles, four Spanish Supercopas, and two Copas del Rey.
Carvajal was also an integral part of the Spain national team that clinched the UEFA Nations League title in 2023 and competed in Euro 2024.