FIFA bans Athletic Club from registering players for three transfer windows
The Spanish club appears on FIFA's registration ban list over a dispute involving goalkeeper Padilla's rights, affecting transfers through January 2028.
February 12, 2026
Athletic Club has been added to FIFA's official registration ban list, prohibiting the Basque club from signing or registering new players across the next three consecutive transfer windows, authorities said Thursday.
The ban covers the summer 2026 transfer market, the winter 2027 window, and the summer 2027 market, extending through the Spanish winter transfer period in 2028 if unresolved. During this period, the club cannot register any players—domestic, international, professional, or amateur—in any of its competitions.
FIFA published the sanction on its "Registration Bans" platform, which details clubs worldwide subject to registration prohibitions by the global football governing body. The decision was announced February 12.
The underlying dispute centers on disagreements with another club regarding the rights to goalkeeper Padilla, according to reporting on the matter. FIFA typically imposes registration bans as disciplinary measures for financial disputes or regulatory breaches, though the organization did not publicly specify the exact grounds for Athletic's sanction.
Athletic Club officials, speaking from the club's headquarters at Ibaigane in Bilbao, indicated the matter is administrative in nature and expressed confidence it would be resolved shortly. The club has not issued an official public statement regarding its inclusion on the ban list.
The FIFA Registration Ban List was established two years prior to provide transparency and centralize information regarding FIFA's judicial activities and disciplinary actions. Once a club resolves the underlying dispute, it typically is removed from the list.
Athletic Club faces significant sporting risk during the affected transfer periods if the conflict remains unresolved. The club's ability to strengthen its squad through player acquisitions will be severely constrained for an extended period.