Athletic Bilbao Banned From Signing Players For Three Transfer Windows

Athletic Bilbao has been banned from signing new players for the next three transfer windows, FIFA has confirmed.

The La Liga club has been added to FIFA’s Registration Bans list, which tracks teams temporarily prohibited from registering new players due to issues such as financial disputes or regulatory non-compliance.

The ban will affect the summer 2026, winter 2027, and summer 2027 transfer windows, meaning Bilbao will only be able to sign players again in the winter of 2028. FIFA has not revealed the exact reason behind the sanction.

Athletic Club, however, downplayed the situation, calling it “a mere formality, a minor matter that will have no further impact.” Club sources added, “It’s a disagreement over some rights to a player that will be resolved in the coming hours.”

While the ban poses a temporary obstacle for the club, Athletic Bilbao remains confident that the issue will be quickly settled, allowing them to resume transfer activity in the future.