Mapi León Back with Spain After Long Boycott and Leadership Changes

Kate LaPlaca

Staff Writer 

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, Maria “Mapi” Leon returned to the Spanish women’s National team after three years. 

In 2022, after the Euros, Leon’s last game with the national team was due to concerns the players had over working conditions. This came to light during the 2022 Euros.   

Leon was not the only player who left the team after the 2022 Euros and opted out of the World Cup the next year. 

Three players rejected their call-up: Leon, Claudia Pina, and Partri Guijarro. All Barcelona players decided to sit out the World Cup to show their beliefs and dislike for how the team is being run. 

After the Spanish Women’s team won at the 2023 World Cup, the issues that Leon, Pina, and Guijarro boycotted the team for are now on display for the whole world to see. 

On the stage receiving the trophy for their win, head coach Jorge Vilda kissed a senior player on the team, Jenni Hermosa without her consent, leading the whole world to see the dysfunction of the team. 

The whole team then joined Leon, Pina, and Guijarro in boycotting their team callups. 

Since almost all the players are boycotting the National team, there was a mandatory call-up for all players; if they did not attend, their football license in Spain would no longer be viable. 

For more than seven hours right off the plane, they were in a meeting discussing how to fix the issues with the team. Out of the 27 players who went into the meeting, the only two who left were Leon and Guijarro, who decided not to return to the team until further actions were taken. 

In June 2024, Guijarro returned to the national team, almost a year later. Her decision to return was due to the resolution of the issues with the Spanish Football Federation, as well as the coaching staff with the team. 

With Vilda no longer being the head coach, but instead Montese Tomè, the team’s coaching changed, as well as the culture of the team.

Although Guijarro and Pina had returned to the team, Leon was still not pleased with the team; she was waiting for new coaching to be implemented and practiced. 

This is what happened in August of 2025, with Sonia Bermúdez entering the picture. For the first time in 30-plus years, the whole culture of the team is being changed. 

With the new coaching staff being implemented, Vilda being fired from the team, and finally, the changes that took place with RFEF, the Spanish Football Federation, Maria “Mapi” Leon is now excited and pleased with the abundance of changes that have happened.