Spain won the World Cup on the 20th of August 2023.
Three days later, Gotham FC announced the signing of Esther González. Nine days later, Laia Codina was an Arsenal player. On the 14th of September, Irene Guerrero signed for Manchester United.
The first departures arrived almost at the same time as the celebrations.
Of those 23 champions, 21 had played the 2022/23 season in Spain. Only two had been abroad: Jenni Hermoso, at Pachuca, and Ona Batlle, who had come from Manchester United and had just joined Barcelona.
On the 1st of August 2026, five remain.
Arsenal have as many as Barcelona
Cata Coll, Irene Paredes and Aitana Bonmatí are still at Barcelona. Eva Navarro and Athenea del Castillo are at Real Madrid. Not one of them plays at the other fourteen clubs in Liga F.
England hold six: Misa Rodríguez, Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey at Arsenal; Alexia Putellas and María Pérez at London City Lionesses; Laia Codina at West Ham.
Arsenal have as many Spanish World Cup winners as Barcelona. England, one more than the whole of Liga F.
The rest are spread out: three in Mexico, two apiece in France and Italy, and one each in the United States and Switzerland. Claudia Zornoza is the first of the 23 to retire. Esther González has stepped away from football temporarily to attend to a personal matter.
Teresa Abelleira still has no announced destination. She left Real Madrid on the 12th of June, after six seasons and 170 appearances, without having played since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral meniscus in February 2025.
Six each
Barcelona and Real Madrid began this summer with six World Cup winners apiece.
Barcelona keep three. Across seventeen days in July, Alexia Putellas left for London City Lionesses, Ona Batlle for Arsenal and Salma Paralluelo for OL Lyonnes.
Real Madrid keep two. They lost Misa Rodríguez, who signed for Arsenal; Rocío Gálvez, who left for FC Juárez; Alba Redondo, transferred to Juventus; and Abelleira, who is still without a club.
Four departures in six weeks.
And in the same summer, a record
The departure of the champions does not describe a competition shut off from the international market.
While it was losing Misa Rodríguez, Rocío Gálvez, Alba Redondo and Teresa Abelleira, Real Madrid brought in Elisa Senß, Lineth Beerensteyn, Janou Levels and Felicia Schröder from abroad.
BK Häcken presented Schröder’s transfer as the most expensive in the history of women’s football. Real Madrid confirmed the agreement but did not disclose the fee or make any reference to a record.
Natalia Padilla has left Bayern Munich to play for Costa Adeje Tenerife. Valentina Donolato has left Milan for Logroño United.
What Liga F has stopped buying is Spanish players. Of the 39 who have left for clubs abroad, 17 are Spanish. Of the 42 who have arrived, four — and all four are coming home.
Spain still has its World Cup winners.
Liga F has lost the place from which to watch them.
