Athletic Club, widely known as Athletic Bilbao, is one of Spanish football’s most historic, unique, and deeply respected institutions, based in Bilbao, Basque Country. Universally known as "Los Leones" (The Lions) or "Rojiblancos" (The Red-and-Whites), the club plays its home matches at the state-of-the-art, 53,000-capacity San Mamés Stadium.
Founded in 1898, Athletic traditionally plays in iconic red-and-white striped shirts. The club is famous worldwide for its historic cantera policy, choosing to field exclusively players born or developed in the Basque Country. Alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, Athletic is one of only three founding members never to have been relegated from La Liga since its inception in 1929.
Athletic established itself as an early titan of Spanish football, dominating the early decades of La Liga and the Copa del Rey. With 8 La Liga championships and 24 Copa del Rey titles—including a memorable 2024 cup triumph that ended a 40-year major trophy drought—the club remains one of the most decorated in Spanish history. Internationally, Athletic has reached two UEFA Cup / Europa League finals (1977, 2012).
Athletic Club maintains one of Spain's most passionate and celebrated regional rivalries against Real Sociedad, contesting the famous Basque Derby (Euskal Derbia).
