Real Madrid announced on Friday that David Alaba will leave the club when his contract expires on June 30. The club said it will honour him at the final La Liga match of the season at home to Athletic Club.
Alaba joined Real Madrid as a free agent from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2021 and spent five seasons at the club, making 129 appearances and winning nine trophies, including two La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns. This season he made 15 appearances in total and just four La Liga starts; he has not started a match since the start of March. Over the last 18 months Alaba made only 17 La Liga appearances, and he played just 14 times for Real Madrid last season.
The arc of those numbers is pinned to injuries. Alaba suffered an ACL tear in December 2023 that cost him the entire calendar year of 2024. He returned from that left-knee ACL injury in January 2025 but then suffered a meniscus injury in the same knee in April, which ruled him out of the final five La Liga games of 2024-25 and all six matches at the Club World Cup in the United States.
Real Madrid’s public notice that Alaba will depart had been expected for months, given the contract timetable, but the club made a point of balancing the announcement with recognition of his role. President Florentino Perez said Alaba had earned the affection of Madrid fans for his dedication and hard work and for an iconic image tied to the club’s run to its 14th European Cup that has become part of the club’s history.
The contrast between Alaba’s trophy haul and his recent availability frames the unresolved tension of his Madrid tenure. He arrived widely regarded as one of the world’s leading defenders, and the record — five seasons, nine trophies — confirms the success. Yet injuries have sharply limited his on-field contribution in the last two seasons, curtailing continuity and leaving the club without one of the central figures it had signed from Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid also noted that Dani Carvajal is leaving the club this summer, underscoring a broader change in personnel as contracts expire. The club’s decision to stage a formal honour in the final home game against Athletic Club acknowledges Alaba’s place in those winning teams even as it marks the end of his contract on June 30.
For Alaba, the facts are plain: five seasons at Real Madrid, 129 appearances, two La Liga titles, two Champions League titles and nine trophies overall. For the club and its supporters the story is both a celebration and a practical reset. The most consequential fact going forward is the date — June 30 — when the chapter closes and Real Madrid will move into the summer with clear gaps to fill on the roster.
When the stadium turns its attention to the final home match, the tribute will be an explicit acknowledgment that, despite an injury-marred finish, Alaba’s seasons in Madrid helped build a period of sustained success; his departure on June 30 will be both an end and a formal turning point for the club.
