Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid captain and right-back, will depart the club at the end of the 2025-26 season after 23 years including youth academy and first-team spells, the club confirmed on May 18, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].

Carvajal joined Real Madrid's youth academy in 2002 at age 10 and made his first-team debut in 2013 after a season at Bayer Leverkusen [1, 2, 3, 4]. He has since made 450 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 14 goals, and won 27 trophies with the club [1, 2, 3, 4]. His honours include six Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, six Club World Cups, five UEFA Super Cups, and four Spanish Super Cups [1, 2, 3, 4]. He is one of only five players to have won six Champions League trophies and the only player to start all six finals he won [1, 3].

His career has been affected by injuries in recent seasons. Carvajal suffered a cruciate ligament tear in October 2024 and another serious knee injury around October 2025, limiting his playing time this season [1, 2, 3, 4]. Competition for his position increased after Real Madrid signed Trent Alexander-Arnold last summer as his successor. Carvajal has played only 892 minutes in La Liga in 2025-26 [1, 3]. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa defended Carvajal's status, calling him "the most important academy product in the history of the club," while denying any rift and citing sporting reasons for limited game time [3].

Carvajal has earned 51 caps for Spain and helped the national team win the 2023 UEFA Nations League and the 2024 European Championship, where he was named best player of the 2024 Champions League final [1, 2, 3]. Due to injuries and form, he will not be called up to Spain's squad for the 2026 World Cup [4].

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez praised Carvajal as "a legend and a symbol of Real Madrid and its academy. This is and will always be his home" [1, 2, 4]. The club issued a statement expressing "gratitude and affection to one of the greatest legends of our club and world football." The club will honor Carvajal at their final La Liga match of the season against Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 23 or May 24, 2026, depending on timezone [1, 2, 3, 4].

At 34 years old, Carvajal ends his long and trophy-laden tenure with Real Madrid as one of the most decorated players in the club's history.