​In a bombshell for La Liga, Athletic Club Bilbao has been officially slapped with a FIFA registration ban, freezing them out of the next three transfer windows. 

Effective today, February 12, 2026, the Basque giants are prohibited from signing new players until January 2028 due to an undisclosed "regulatory breach." 

For a club that already limits itself to Basque-only talent, this total lock on the doors leaves them completely dependent on their academy to survive the next two years.