EconomicsSpainTier 5

The money in Tercera Federación

What it takes to play in Tercera Federación, what it pays, and how its clubs do.

↑ Segunda Federación Clubs and owners in Tercera Federación

Central money per club: up to €40k; Federation aid, 2026-27maximum

What it takes to play here

The 2026-27 rules from the league’s and federation’s own regulations, sorted by when they cost money.

Guarantees, every season

Collateral posted each season. Not spent unless called; the cost is the bank's fee or the cash tied up.

Supplementary guarantee: guarantee on Comisión Mixta debts25% to 55% of the recognised debtclubs with Comisión Mixta resolutions in the previous three seasons. Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol

Conditions, pay, squad, ground and reporting rules 8

Squad

Squad size25 licences (maximum)Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol
Youth rule: maximum licensed players over 2316 players over 23 (maximum)Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol
Non-EU playersno limit for players legally resident in SpainReglamento de Competiciones art. 57.2.a. Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol

Ground

Floodlights500 luxSource: Real Federación Española de Fútbol
Pitchnatural or recent artificial grassSource: Real Federación Española de Fútbol

Reporting and other rules

Budget publicationNot requiredReglamento de Control Económico art. 31 and DT 5ª. Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol
Economic controlControl Económico Intermedio (competition norms); Elemental (control regulation)Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol
Budget filed with the RFEFRequiredSource: Real Federación Española de Fútbol

Money in from the league and federation

Central payments to the division’s clubs, the latest season first. A maximum is the most a club can get, not what it received.

Federation aidmaximumup to €40k per club2026-27, paid by RFEF, €14.0m in all. Professionalisation €12.08m (€35,000 a club, €40,000 with media requirements), travel €1.884m (€1/km). perClub.max excludes travel.Earlier: 2025-26 €21.7m in all.Sources: Real Federación Española de Fútbol, Real Federación Española de Fútbol

Copa audiovisual aidmaximum€1.55m in all2026-27, paid by RFEF. For Tercera Federación and regional clubs that reach the Copa del Rey. From the Copa del Rey audiovisual rights: first-round participation €607,500 (€25,000 a club), travel €66,500 (€1/km), round wins €877,500 (€35,000 each).Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol

Island travel aidmaximum€843k in all2026-27, paid by RFEF. For clubs that travel to or from the islands, Ceuta or Melilla. Travel between the peninsula, the islands, Ceuta and Melilla, and between islands; this tier's share of a €6,709,259.65 call.Source: Real Federación Española de Fútbol

A typical club here

Each club’s latest published figures, one dot a club, the white mark the median. Only clubs that publish are counted, so the sample may lean towards larger or better-run clubs.

What Tercera Federación clubs earn and spend

Every figure a club or its league publishes, on one scale: what comes in, what goes out on staff, and the caps that limit it. Each lane says what its amounts are; a cap is not money spent.

Money in
Money out
A limit, not money spent

Revenueaccounts · 3 clubs

Staff costsaccounts · 4 clubs

Read as a table

Club	Revenue	Staff costs
SCD Durango		€164k (2019-20)
CD Marino	€90.4k (2021-22)	€190k (2021-22)
Real Unión de Tenerife	€69.9k (2025-26)	€260k (2025-26)
CE L'Hospitalet	€897k (2024-25)	€632k (2024-25)

2 of 3 clubs here lost money in their latest accounts

Each club's net result, profit to the right of zero and loss to the left.

Lost money
Broke even or made a profit

Net result3 clubs

Tercera Federación against the tiers around it

Each club's revenue in its latest accounts, at the tier it played that season. Tercera Federación is marked; the tiers above and below are shown for comparison.

Primera FederaciónTier 3 · 18 clubs

Segunda FederaciónTier 4 · 8 clubs

Tercera FederaciónTier 5 · 4 clubs