An absorbent article (10) such as a sanitary napkin includes an elongate absorbent core (12) delimited by an upper surface (14) and a lower surface (16). A pair of opposed longitudinal edge portions (18, 20) terminates in longitudinal edges (22, 24) and a pair of opposed transverse edges (26, 28). The core has a first end portion (30), a second end portion (32) and a central portion (34) located between the end portions. A liquid permeable topsheet (36) extends over the upper surface (14), and a liquid barrier backsheet (42) covers the lower surface (16) of the absorbent core (12). Leakage barriers (68, 70), each barrier covering a longitudinal edge portion (18, 20) in a respective longitudinal edge portion (18, 20), forms liquid-retaining pockets along each longitudinal edge portion. First spacers are arranged between the absorbent core (12) and each of the leakage barriers (68, 70), and the first spacers are arranged at a distance from each other along the length of the leakage barriers (68, 70) and defines fluid conducting first channels (62), that extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge portions (18, 20), between the leakage barriers (68, 70) and the absorbent core (12).