FC Barcelona's women's team, boasting stars like four-time Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, has dominated La Liga and European football, winning 6 of the last La Liga titles and 3 consecutive Champions League trophies. However, this reign faces a potential end due to the departure of several key players. This downsizing appears to be an indirect consequence of the men's team's financial struggles.

Putelas lifts the Women's Champions League trophy at San Mames Stadium, Bilbao on 25/5/2024. Photo: Reuters

Putelas lifts the Women's Champions League trophy at San Mames Stadium, Bilbao on 25/5/2024. Photo: Reuters

Eight players have left the team, raising alarm bells, as noted by Spanish newspaper El Pais. Departures include 31-year-old Swedish forward Fridolina Rolfo (who joined Manchester United Women), 27-year-old Norwegian midfielder Ingrid Engen (who joined Lyon Women), and 23-year-old homegrown talent Jana Fernandez (signed by London City Lionesses). Barca Women have only made one new signing: Laia Aleixandri, a free transfer from Manchester City.

Jana's departure leaves Barca Women with a first-team squad of only 17 players. While still formidable, including 10 Spanish internationals who started in the Euro 2025 final, the departures have significantly impacted squad depth, a key factor in their past success. Some players left for professional reasons, others for personal ones, but the underlying issue is the club's financial instability. In contrast, Barca Women have not spent as heavily as Arsenal or Chelsea, both of which broke women's football transfer records this year.

Not only the women's team but other Barca sports teams have also tightened their belts in recent years to adapt to the club's overall financial situation and comply with La Liga's financial regulations. The basketball and handball teams have also seen notable departures.

FC Barcelona operates teams in women's football, basketball, handball, futsal, and ice hockey, all subject to La Liga's financial fair play rules. Spanish clubs are governed by the La Liga Cost Control Regulations (LCPD), which limit each club's spending on its squad.

The LCPD divides salaries into two categories: registerable (including first-team male football players and Hansi Flick's coaching staff) and non-registerable (covering remaining staff, youth football, Barca B, and all other sports teams). The club's board, based on La Liga's total salary limit and the registerable salary amount, allocates the budget and sets limits for each department.

La Liga's control over all sporting divisions, coupled with the club's ongoing financial recovery, has forced Barca to balance its budget across the board. On 14/8, board members even used personal assets to secure an 8.2 million USD bank loan for the club.

High spending on the men's team, with stars like Yamal, Raphinha, and Lewandowski, has led to budget cuts in other Barca sports teams, including the women's team. Photo: Reuters

High spending on the men's team, with stars like Yamal, Raphinha, and Lewandowski, has led to budget cuts in other Barca sports teams, including the women's team. Photo: Reuters

Xavi O'Callaghan, head of professional sports at Barca, explained on 18/8, "We are growing, but so is the market. To retain key players, you have to spend more, so we need to be selective and utilize our academy. The sports department decided that optimizing performance through this investment strategy was the best approach. We must achieve financial balance with the best possible players."

According to O'Callaghan, sport-specific regulations would be preferable to La Liga's overarching control. "It’s not very logical. But we have to accept playing with the cards we have, even if they are not the fairest," he added.

Barca Women generated nearly 21 million USD in annual revenue, topping Deloitte's 2025 Money League for women's football, with a profit of 705,500 USD in the 2023-2024 season. In the same fiscal year, spending on Barca Women was 19.5 million USD, compared to 513.5 million USD for the men's team.

Christina Philippou, professor of sport accounting and finance at the University of Portsmouth, argues that the savings from cutting the women's team are negligible compared to the lost revenue growth opportunity. "It sends a bad message that women’s football is secondary, that the men’s team always comes first. It doesn’t fit with running a business that’s leading a fast-growing market. Many big brands are investing in women’s football for the first time. So it seems odd for Barca to start cutting back its squad now," she told The Times.

While women's football impacts a club's financial balance in Spain, in leagues like England, women's team expenses are deductible from the men's team. As women's football grows in popularity and appeal across Europe, the financial strength of English clubs could shift the balance of power in a field Barca Women have dominated for years.

Compiled by Ha Phuong