Mapi León will play for London City Lionesses. The English club have announced the signing of the 31-year-old defender on a contract until the summer of 2029, following the expiry of her Barcelona deal on 30 June.
The move will be León’s first experience outside Spain. She began her career at Zaragoza CFF and also represented Espanyol and Atlético de Madrid before joining Barcelona in 2017. She went on to become one of the key players in the most successful period in the club’s history.
Mapi leaves Barcelona after nine seasons and 27 trophies: four Champions League titles, seven league titles, seven Copas de la Reina, six Spanish Super Cups and three Copa Catalunya titles. Her ability to build play with her left foot, defensive aggression and leadership established her as one of the most highly regarded centre-backs in European football.
“I wanted to test myself in another country, in another league and playing a different type of football,” the defender said in her first interview as a London City player. Mapi described the project as “interesting and attractive” and said she remains determined to keep competing for trophies.
The Spain international joins Eder Maestre’s squad and will wear the number 44 shirt during the 2026/27 season. In London, she will be reunited with Alexia Putellas, whose signing was announced by the English club on 8 July.
