On May 23, 2026, I had the opportunity to attend the last match of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Real Madrid brought the curtain down on their 2025-26 La Liga campaign with an emotional 4-2 victory over Athletic Club at the Bernabéu, on a night filled with farewells, goals, and flashes of attacking quality. Dani Carvajal and David Alaba made their final appearances for Real Madrid FC, while Ernesto Valverde took charge of Athletic Club for the last time.
Real Madrid started brightly and opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Gonzalo García. Carvajal, captaining Madrid in his farewell appearance, delivered a superb curling pass into the box, and the young forward controlled calmly before finishing beyond Álex Padilla to make it 1-0.
Madrid doubled their advantage four minutes before halftime. Thiago Pitarch floated an excellent ball into the area, and Jude Bellingham met it with a powerful left-footed volley that crashed into the net for 2-0.
Athletic Club responded immediately before the break. In first-half stoppage time, Iñaki Williams drove forward and supplied Gorka Guruzeta, who finished clinically to cut the deficit to 2-1 and give the visitors hope heading into halftime.
Any momentum Athletic gained disappeared shortly after the restart. In the 51st minute, Álvaro Carreras found Kylian Mbappé with a sharp pass, and the French star restored Madrid’s two-goal cushion with a composed finish for 3-1.
Beyond the goals, much of the emotion centred around David Alaba. The Austrian defender, whose Real Madrid career was heavily disrupted by injuries in recent seasons, received a heartfelt ovation from the Bernabéu faithful during his farewell appearance. Teammates and supporters alike rose to applaud a player who played a key role in Madrid’s success following his arrival from Bayern Munich in 2021, helping the club win major honours, including La Liga and the Champions League. As he left the pitch late in the second half, Alaba embraced several teammates and acknowledged the crowd, visibly emotional as supporters chanted his name.
Carvajal’s farewell, meanwhile, carried enormous emotional weight. A product of Real Madrid’s academy and one of the defining figures of the club’s modern era, the Spanish full-back was serenaded throughout the night by supporters chanting his name. When he was substituted late in the second half, the entire stadium stood to applaud as teammates formed a guard of honour near the touchline. Carvajal, visibly emotional, embraced several players and staff members before saluting the crowd one final time. After more than 450 appearances, countless trophies, and years of relentless commitment, it was the end of an extraordinary journey for one of Real Madrid’s greatest captains.
Real Madrid sealed the win in the 88th minute when Brahim Díaz added the fourth goal. Pitarch was again involved, supplying the assist before Brahim calmly finished after a brief VAR review confirmed the goal.
Athletic Club grabbed a late consolation in stoppage time as substitute Urko Izeta scored his first senior goal for the club after another assist from Iñaki Williams. Still, it did little to change the atmosphere inside the stadium.
In the end, the night belonged to Real Madrid’s departing veterans. Amid the six goals and end-of-season celebrations, the fans said goodbye to two players who helped define an era — Carvajal, the homegrown warrior, and Alaba, the elegant defender whose class and leadership left a lasting mark in white.