Real Madrid Femenino
Real Madrid Femenino is a Spanish professional women’s football club based in Madrid, competing in the Primera División, the highest level of women’s football in Spain. Founded in 2014 as the independent Club Deportivo TACÓN, the team entered into a merger and acquisition process with Real Madrid CF in 2019. Upon the completion of this integration, it was officially rebranded in 2020 as the women’s football section of Real Madrid. The team hosts its home fixtures at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, a venue within the club’s Ciudad Real Madrid training complex.
History
2014–2019: Club Deportivo TACÓN
CD TACÓN was founded on 12 September 2014. The name TACÓN is an acronym of Trabajo Atrevimiento Conocimiento Organización Notoriedad. In their first competitive season, 2015–16, the club only registered an under-14 team. In June 2016, TACÓN announced a merger with CD Canillas for incorporating their women's senior and under-19 teams.In their first season at senior level, in the 2016–17 Segunda División, TACÓN finished second in their regional group, below Madrid CFF who won promotion to the Primera División.
Because both TACÓN and Madrid CFF were clubs open to a potential takeover by Real Madrid, a rivalry developed between them. Rosell described the clubs' relations as "cordial" in 2019.
Rossell had petitioned successive Real Madrid presidents, Lorenzo Sanz, Florentino Pérez and Ramón Calderón, to create a women's football section since 1997, but received no official response. According to Rossell, her requests were denied, with club executives citing that a women's section wasn't economically sustainable. In those years, she was a player for Atlético Feminas and Canillas. In 2016, Rossell called publicly for Real Madrid to create a women's football section.
In June 2017 Real Madrid's president, Florentino Pérez, claimed that the club would make its own women's team from scratch, and not buy an existing club. Rossell had claimed in 2013 that Pérez was first starting to consider women's football at the club. Real was thus doing so several years or decades later than many other clubs in Europe and in the city of Madrid itself. On El Larguero in 2017, Pérez said “We will definitely have a women’s team,” he said. “We’re working on it, but it will be from the position of a newly formed club, not a team in which we bring the best player from Germany, Brazil… That is not what Madridismo is all about.”
As late as September 2018, Pérez still ruled out having a women's team, as El Confidencial reported: "Florentino did not want to spend on a section that did not guarantee trophies and his agents lied to him about the expenses necessary for him to create it". Women's football was not mentioned at all by Pérez at the club's annual assembly on 23 September 2018, and Oscar Sanz of El País wrote, "Real Madrid has the dubious honor of being, together with Getafe, the only First Division club that has neither had nor has a women's team."
2019: Takeover by Real Madrid
After three seasons in the Segunda División, on 19 May 2019, TACÓN achieved promotion to the Primera División.On 25 June 2019, the Real Madrid CF board of directors announced a proposal of integrating TACÓN as their women's football section to be presented to their socios. As part of the agreement, TACÓN would play their 2019–20 season matches at Ciudad Real Madrid during the transition, with the merger being officially completed on 1 July 2020. On 15 September 2019, The Extraordinary General Assembly of Real Madrid approved the absorption of the club. Florentino Perez, speaking at the General Assembly after the vote to absorb was passed, cited that TACÓN's youth system was the reason why it was chosen as the base for the women's team, thus striving to stay true to Real Madrid's philosophy of developing Spanish talent.
2019–2020: Transition year
Having been promoted, the club went on to lose a large majority of its playing squad in the summer of 2019. Argentine midfielder Ruth Bravo moved to Rayo Vallecano, while others like Lixy, Marbel Okoye and Yamilla Badell did not have their contracts renewed. In order to strengthen for the coming season, the club saw the arrival of Swedish duo Kosovare Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson; French midfielder Aurélie Kaci from Atlético Madrid, Ainoa Campo from Madrid CFF, English forward Chioma Ubogagu, goalkeeper Ana Valles Nigerian defender Osinachi Ohale, as well as the Brazilian pair Daiane and Thaisa Moreno, who was nominated for best midfielder in her lone year at A.C. Milan Women. The last signing of the summer was versatile defender Babett Peter from VFL Wolfsburg.Despite the wealth of talent and experience at their disposal, CD TACÓN's start to the season was nothing short of abysmal, with a heavy loss against [FC FC Barcelona Femení|Barcelona Femení|Barcelona] in its debut match, and EDF Logroño particularly standing out. After a poor run with just one win in nine games, the team started to gain a sense of stability in November 2019, going on a five match unbeaten run. TACÓN finished the shortened 2019–20 season in 10th place, with many fans unhappy with how the team had thrown away a 3–0 lead with ten minutes to go and ended up losing 4–3 on home soil in the last match before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Real Madrid Women were also the subject of a documentary series in 2020.
2020–2021: Real Madrid Femenino
On 1 July 2020, Real Madrid CF released an official communication confirming the completion of the takeover, thereby signalling the complete absorption of CD TACÓN, which would then operate as 'Real Madrid' from that date onwards.The new structure of the section includes a senior team, reserve side similar to Castilla, known as 'Real Madrid Femenino B', an Under-19 team, 'Juvenil' and a 'Cadete' for under-15s and below. The structure already existed under CD TACÓN and has been integrated into Real Madrid's famous La Fábrica. The remaining TACÓN Juvenil and Cadete teams that couldn't be absorbed right away have since been rebranded as 'Fenix Football Club', which in turn merged with CD Masriver in 2021.
Crests
The club’s first crest featured a decorative interlacing of the initials "MCF" in dark blue on a plain background. A redesign came when the letters were enclosed inside a circle, creating a more balanced and unified emblem. The next transformation occurred when King Alfonso XIII granted the club royal patronage, adding a crown on top of the badge and formally styling the institution as Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. Following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, royal symbols were removed, the crown disappeared, and in its place a mulberry diagonal stripe was introduced to represent the historic region of Castile. After the Spanish Civil War, the crown was restored while the Castilian stripe was retained, and the badge adopted a more colourful design with gold details. The most recent significant adjustment came in 2001, when the club modernised the crest for the digital era by refining its lines, brightening the gold, and standardising the colours, including altering the Castilian stripe to a more bluish shade.Real Madrid Femenino, officially created on 1 July 2020 after the absorption of CD Tacón, adopted the same crest and corporate identity, symbolising its full integration into Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and ensuring visual continuity across all sections of the institution.
Home ground
During the transition season, TACÓN played their home fixtures at Field 11 in Ciudad Real Madrid. The matches were not open to the general public, with only club members, selected away fans and those possessing a membership card, allowed to attend. Following the completion of the merger, and given that the senior men's team was using the Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano, Real Madrid Femenino continued to play their home matches at Field 11. At the start of the 2021–22 season, the women's team have alternated between Field 11 and the Alfredo di Stéfano stadium, initially with a reduced capacity for fan attendance.Support
Real Madrid Femenino shares much of its fanbase with the wider Real Madrid community, while also developing its own identity since its full integration into Real Madrid in mid-2020. The takeover of CD Tacón and rebranding was completed on 1 July 2020, giving the women’s team access to Real Madrid’s infrastructure and wider visibility.Home matches are primarily held at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium in the club’s Ciudad Real Madrid complex, a venue also shared with Real Madrid Castilla. Crowd sizes have increased in recent seasons, particularly for high-profile matches. For example, in the 2022–23 season, Real Madrid Femenino registered a highest home attendance of 5,126 in a Liga F match vs FC Barcelona.
League-wide data also supports rising support: in Liga F, attendance at stadiums increased by 7 % compared to prior season, while televised audience rose by 90 %. More matches are being held in “main” stadiums rather than smaller or training-complex grounds, enhancing matchday visibility.
Financially, Real Madrid Femenino is among Europe’s leading women’s clubs in revenue: in the 2023-24 season, it earned approximately €10.5 million, putting it in the top 5 for women’s clubs in Deloitte’s “Football Money League – Women.”
Matchday culture shows a mixture of traditions inherited from the wider Real Madrid support together with growing interest specific to the women’s section. High-profile fixtures draw larger, more diverse crowds. Club communications, social media, televised coverage, and “fan experience” initiatives have also contributed to raising profile and engagement.
Season to season
2020–21
The 2020–21 campaign was Real Madrid Femenino's first official season under the Real Madrid name following the full absorption of CD Tacón in July 2020. Under head coach David Aznar, the team rapidly established itself as one of the strongest sides in Spain, finishing in the Primera División behind Barcelona, which secured the club's first-ever qualification for European competition. The team also reached the quarter-finals of the Copa de la Reina before being eliminated.Several players emerged as key figures during the club's inaugural season. Striker Kosovare Asllani was the side’s leading goalscorer, delivering decisive performances including a rapid hat-trick in February 2021, which underlined her importance in attack. Left-back Olga Carmona quickly became a regular starter and contributed both defensively and offensively throughout the campaign. Captain Ivana Andrés, who had joined in the summer of 2020, provided leadership and stability in central defence, while goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez impressed with consistent saves and numerous clean sheets. Veteran defender Babett Peter also contributed valuable experience in what was her final season with the club.
Real Madrid’s debut season in the women’s top flight was widely considered a success, as the club not only adapted quickly to the elite level but also immediately became Barcelona’s closest challenger in the domestic league. The second-place finish represented a major milestone in the short history of the women’s section, laying the foundations for the team’s continued development in Spain and in Europe.
2021–22
The 2021–22 campaign marked the club's debut in European competition. Having finished second in the league the previous year, the team entered the newly expanded UEFA Women's Champions League at the qualifying stage.Under head coach David Aznar, Real Madrid began their European campaign by defeating Manchester City 2–1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round, a result described in the press as historic as it secured the club's place in the group stage of the competition. Drawn in Group B alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Breiðablik and Kharkiv, the Spanish side advanced to the quarter-finals after finishing second in the group with four wins. Their run ended in the last eight against reigning champions Barcelona, who won the tie 8–3 on aggregate.
In domestic competition, Real Madrid endured a difficult start in the Primera División and at one point sat outside the top five. In December 2021, after a series of poor results, Aznar was dismissed and replaced by Alberto Toril. Under Toril, results improved dramatically and the team climbed the table, ultimately finishing third in the league to secure a return to European competition.
The Copa de la Reina saw Real Madrid reach the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Sporting Huelva in extra time.
A number of players stood out during the season. Athenea del Castillo impressed with her pace and creativity on the wing. Goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez was again a decisive presence between the posts, and striker Esther González contributed crucial goals following her arrival from Levante.
Overall, the season was regarded as a landmark for Real Madrid Femenino. Their successful European debut, recovery in the domestic league under Toril, and progress to the semi-finals of the Copa de la Reina demonstrated the rapid growth of the team and consolidated their position as one of the top clubs in Spain and Europe.
2022–23
The 2022–23 campaign coincided with the first fully professional Liga F season, and under manager Alberto Toril Real Madrid confirmed their status as genuine title challengers by finishing second in the league behind FC Barcelona.Real Madrid combined domestic consistency with a deep Cup run. The side reached their first Copa de la Reina final, where they drew 2–2 with Atlético Madrid after extra time but lost the title in the subsequent penalty shootout, denying Real Madrid their first major trophy to that point. The team also took part in the Supercopa de España, reaching the final four before being eliminated by Barcelona in the semi-final stage.
In continental competition Real Madrid participated in the UEFA Women's Champions League but did not progress beyond the newly expanded group stage, defending their place among Europe’s regular participants while highlighting the gap to the continent’s very elite sides.
The 2022 summer transfer window was the club’s most significant to date. Real Madrid signed Scotland international Caroline Weir as a marquee midfield/attacking signing; French forward Naomie Feller, Brazilian centre-back Kathellen, French midfielder Sandie Toletti and Swedish midfielder Freja Olofsson also arrived to strengthen the squad. In February 2023 Real Madrid completed the high-profile signing of Colombian forward Linda Caicedo, who made an immediate impact after joining from Deportivo Cali.
On the pitch Caroline Weir quickly justified her recruitment: she was the club’s top scorer in the league with 19 Liga F goals and finished the season as Real Madrid’s leading scorer in all competitions, providing the goals and the creative impetus that powered Madrid’s domestic challenge. Forward Esther González provided an excellent complementary goals return, while the emergence of youngsters and midseason additions added fresh attacking options and excitement for supporters. Statistically the team enjoyed a prolific league campaign, scoring 80 goals and conceding 25 in Liga F, and produced several emphatic results including a 7–1 win over Alavés; overall the season showed both attacking potency and the squad depth that would be needed to compete on multiple fronts in subsequent years.
2023–24
The 2023–24 season saw Real Madrid Femenino consolidate their place among Spain's leading sides while continuing to build experience in European competition. Coached by Alberto Toril, the team finished second in Liga F for the third consecutive campaign, once again playing the role of Barcelona’s primary domestic challenger and securing qualification for the following season's UEFA Women's Champions League.In the UEFA Women's Champions League Real Madrid faced a demanding group and were unable to progress from the group stage, an exit that underlined both the progress the club has made on the continental stage and the remaining gap to Europe's elite teams.
Domestically the club had mixed fortunes in cup competitions. Real Madrid were eliminated before the Copa de la Reina final after a tightly contested tie, and they also exited the Supercopa de España Femenina at the semi-final stage; these results reflected the increasingly competitive nature of Spanish women’s football and the narrow margins that separate the top clubs.
Individually, the squad benefitted from a blend of experienced internationals and emerging talent. Caroline Weir provided creativity and goals from midfield, while forwards such as Signe Bruun and Naomie Feller contributed important scoring returns across competitions; Athenea del Castillo reaffirmed her importance to the side by committing her future to the club with a contract renewal, and Misa Rodríguez remained a dependable presence in goal.
2024–25
The 2024–25 season was another strong campaign for Real Madrid Femenino under manager Alberto Toril, further consolidating the club among Spain's top teams and increasing their impact in European competition. The squad underwent several departures before the season began, including first captain Ivana Andrés, Claudia Zornoza, Kenti Robles, Sofie Svava, Kathellen, Freja Olofsson, and Hayley Raso, while signings such as Filippa Angeldahl were brought in to refresh the midfield.In Liga F Real Madrid again finished in 2nd place, behind Barcelona, maintaining their status as the primary challengers domestically. A landmark moment came on 23 March 2025, when Real Madrid secured their first ever victory over Barcelona in an official match, with goals by Alba Redondo and a Caroline Weir double.
In domestic cup competitions, Real Madrid were runners-up in the Supercopa de España Femenina, losing to Barcelona in the final. In the Copa de la Reina, they reached the semi-finals.
In the UEFA Women’s Champions League Real Madrid also registered a strong run, making it to the quarter-finals. They secured important group-stage wins which saw them advance from the group. Alba Redondo was the club’s league top scorer with 15 goals and added up to 20 in all competitions, making her the season’s top scorer as well.
Record in UEFA Women's Champions League
All results list Real Madrid's goal tally first.a Away game
UEFA club coefficient ranking
| Rank | Team | Points | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | VfL Wolfsburg | 70.000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 |  PlayersCurrent squad''As of 20 September 2025.''Notable playersTeresa Abelleira
FIFA World Cup participants
Records and statisticsMisa Rodríguez stands as Real Madrid’s all-time appearance leader, amassing 196 matches between 2020 and 2025. Just behind her is Athenea del Castillo on 190, and Olga Carmona on 186. Both Misa and Athenea are still at the club.Caroline Weir, who remains at the club, is Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 53 goals, while Esther González, Athenea del Castillo and Signe Bruun, both of whom are also still active at the club, have each surpassed the 30-goal mark. Babett Peter is often regarded as a pioneering figure in the history of Real Madrid Femenino. Having joined the club in its inaugural season following the absorption of CD Tacón in 2020, she brought with her extensive international experience as a FIFA Women's World Cup winner and UEFA Women's Champions League champion. Her presence provided leadership and professionalism to a newly formed squad, while serving as a mentor for younger players such as Olga Carmona, Teresa Abelleira, Misa Rodríguez and Athenea del Castillo. Although she retired in 2022 after only two seasons, Peter is remembered as one of the foundational figures of the team and received a farewell tribute from the club recognising her as one of its captains. Top 10 goalscorersActive players in bold, statistics correct as of 23 December 2025.
|
