María León, Spain footballer: Profile, Career, News & Videos

María León , known as Mapi León, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Liga F club Barcelona and the Spain national team.

León began her career with her hometown club of Prainsa Zaragoza before moving on to Espanyol and Atlético Madrid. At Atlético, she made the transition from a left-back to a centre-back under the guidance of coach Ángel Villacampa. León won the first league and Copa de la Reina titles of her career at the club.

In 2017, León was the first paid transfer in Spanish women's football history when she signed for Barcelona from Atlético Madrid, with a fee of 50,000 euros. Domestically with Barcelona, she has won four Copas de la Reina, three league titles, and two Supercopa Femenina. On the continental stage, she has played in three Champions League finals with the club in 2019, 2021, and 2022, winning the 2021 version as part of the first continental treble in the club's history.

León plays internationally for the Spanish national team, making her debut in 2016, in qualifiers for the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro. Since then she has featured in three major international competitions for La Roja in UEFA Women's Euro 2017, 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, and UEFA Women's Euro 2022. From 2022 to 2025, she refused to play for the Spanish national team, citing unequal and unfair conditions. She would return to the national team for the 2025 Nations League Finals.