Balearic Islands football guide 2025/26

The Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera attract millions of holidaymakers every year but they are also home to over a million permanent residents, many of whom are passionate about football.

RCD Mallorca, based in Palma, the capital of Mallorca, are by far the biggest club. However, there are many other smaller Balearic football teams spread across the islands.

Balearic Islands football map

There are four main Balearic Islands, although two of them (Formentera and Menorca) don’t currently have a football club in any of the top four tiers of the Spanish football ladder.

In Mallorca, the largest island, the two main clubs are both based in the capital Palma. RCD Mallorca carry the name of the island and are traditionally the most successful. However, neighbours Atletico Baleares also boast a loyal fanbase and a long history, while there are three other clubs in the smaller towns across Mallorca who currently play in the Segunda Federacion (fourth tier).

The island of Ibiza lies roughly 150 km southwest of Mallorca, closer to the Spanish mainland. While it is a much smaller island and best known as a party destination, it has a surprisingly active football scene right now with UD Ibiza in the 2025/26 Primera Federacion (third tier), while CD Ibiza Islas Pitiusas are a level lower down.

Balearic Islands football teams

Clubs in Mallorca

RCD Mallorca

Stadium – Son Moix

Capacity – 26.020

RCD Mallorca consider themselves the pride of the Balearic Islands and they are the only team from the region to have played in the top flight. Indeed, they had an unbroken 16-year stint in LaLiga between 1997 and 2013, a period which saw the likes of Samuel Eto’o turn out for the club. Mallorca’s real golden era came around the turn of the century with two 3rd-place finishes in the league and a fine run to the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, while they won both the Spanish Supercopa and Copa del Rey during that period.

After that long period of stability, they went on something of a rollercoaster ride. They dropped down into the third tier for the first time in nearly 40 years in 2017. However, out of adversity came triumph, as Mallorca pulled off back-to-back promotions to return to the top flight again for the 2019/20 season. After one more relegation and another promotion, they now feel relatively established back in LaLiga, with the 2025/26 season set to be their fifth in a row at this level.

How to buy tickets for Mallorca matches:

Son Moix has recently been upgraded and extended, and getting tickets for Mallorca matches is not normally an issue with their average LaLiga attendance standing at 18,502 during the 2024/25 season. You can buy tickets online, with info available in English on their official ticketing page.

While Mallorca is viewed as a holiday island, it should be pointed out that Palma is actually quite a large city with the ninth-highest population in Spain. Son Moix is located 3.5 km northwest of the city centre and marina area. It would take around 45 minutes to walk, but there are plenty of buses which serve the route, while a taxi would also be relatively inexpensive.

Atletico Baleares

Stadium – Estadi Balear

Capacity – 6,000

Atletico Baleares are based on the other side of Palma de Mallorca and while they have rarely been in the same league as their city rivals, there is a genuine rivalry between the clubs.

The two renewed hostilities in a league setting when Mallorca dropped into the third tier for the 2017/18 season, however they’ll be separated by three divisions again in 2025/26 after Baleares suffered relegation to the Segunda Federacion in 2024.

How to buy tickets for Atlético Baleares matches:

Like many clubs in the Balearic and Canary Islands, Atletico Baleares have a reasonably large expat following, and as such finding information about their games and how to get tickets should be relatively simple compared to most lower-league Spanish clubs.

They are one of the few lower-league teams in Spain with an English version of their website and you can buy tickets online. Their Estadi Balear was closed for six years between 2013 and 2019 on safety grounds, but has since been renovated to some extent and is again their home. It is located on the eastern fringes of Palma, roughly 3 km from the centre.

The other Mallorca teams

Depending on where you’re staying in Mallorca, which is a much larger island than many realise, you may also be in easy reach of a Spanish Segunda Federacion club. Aside from Atletico Baleares, there are three other Mallorca clubs playing in that league.

To the west of Palma, you’ll find Club Deportivo Andrach (AKA Andratx), while UD Porreras are located around 40 km to the east of Palma in a town of the same name. Meanwhile, UD Poblense are slightly bigger than those two and play their football at the Nuevo Campo de La Puebla which can accommodate up to 8,000 people.

You can also find a host of teams from Mallorca in the Tercera Federacion Group XI which is solely made up of Balearic teams, including UD Alcudia in the popular holiday resort in the north of the island.

The other islands

UD Ibiza

Stadium – Can Misses

Capacity – 6,500

UD Ibiza were only founded in 2015 but they’ve come a long way in a short time. They rose through the leagues to reach the Segunda Division in 2021, but have since slipped down into the third tier again.

With significant financial backing, something which is very rare at this level, they have a good chance of being promoted back to the second tier in the 2025/26 season, after play-off defeats in the last two years.

How to buy tickets for Ibiza matches:

As a new club on such a touristy island with a very low permanent population, attracting new fans from abroad or regular visitors is a huge part of UD Ibiza’s ambitious plan. Information about upcoming matches can be found via their ticketing page. Their stadium is located around 30 minutes walking from the centre of Ibiza Town or a short taxi-ride.

The best of the rest

Club Deportivo Ibiza Islas Pitiusas play at the same location as UD Ibiza, but on an adjacent pitch with a small seating capacity of around 1,000. They are currently in the Segunda Federacion and were also formed relatively recently in 2012.

There are no other clubs from Ibiza in Spain’s top four tiers, but you can find the likes of Inter Ibiza Club Deportivo, SE Penya Independent and SCR Peña Deportiva in the Tercera Federacion. The latter are the most historic of the major clubs on the island having been formed way back in 1935.

Just across the sea from Ibiza, the tiny island of Formentera is primarily represented by SD Formentera. Their best season was 2017/18 when they reached the third tier for the first time and famously won at San Mames to knock Athletic Club out of the Copa del Rey. They have since dropped back into the Tercera Federacion.

In the same league, you can find football in Menorca with Club Deportivo Mercadal, one of the oldest in the Balearic Islands having been formed in 1923.

Groundhopping in Mallorca & Ibiza – Getting around

Mallorca is by far the largest of the islands, but in terms of football, Palma is clearly the main source of interest. Anyone flying into Mallorca will land at Palma Airport, the third busiest in Spain. It’s a relatively compact city with a small metro network, but it’s not that useful for getting to either of the two main clubs which are relatively inconveniently located on the fringes of the city. There is an abundance of buses and taxis though.

Getting to other parts of Mallorca is usually best done by bus. You can see a route map and get timetable info for services across the island here. There is also a scenic train line which links Palma with Inca (home of CE Constancia) and Manacor (home of CE Manacor).

There are ferries between Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza, with the fastest offering taking just over two hours. There are many departures throughout the day and Trasmediterranea and Balearia are the two main companies that run services.

Ibiza is a much smaller island and you may find that getting a taxi is the simplest way to get around, with journeys between different towns rarely taking more than 15-20 minutes unless you are heading to the far north of the island which has little going on football-wise. If you’re on a smaller budget, there is also a bus network which connects Ibiza Town with other parts of the island.

Both Ibiza Town and Sant Antoni de Portmany on the opposite coast of the island, have ferry connections to Barcelona and Valencia. It’s only a little over two hours to the latter, so you can easily combine a trip to the Balearics with some football in the Valencian region which will be home to four top-flight clubs in the 2025/26 season.

You can also travel by ferry from Ibiza Town to beautiful Formentera (20 km away) if you are looking to tick another island off your list and catch SD Formentera in action.

Hiring a car may also be a smart idea for groups planning to see and do a lot, particularly in Mallorca given its size.

Away from the football

The Balearic Islands rank among Europe’s most popular beach holiday destinations. No matter what you are looking for, you should be able to find the perfect base to suit your needs.

Ibiza Town and Magaluf in Mallorca attract a younger party crowd with huge clubs and wild nights out. Ibiza is notoriously expensive though, but you can find many more affordable resorts in Mallorca that are more geared towards families.

If you’re looking for something quieter, Menorca and Formentera are excellent options, full of beautiful bays and sandy coves. The northern half of Ibiza is also much quieter and more peaceful in complete contrast to the carnage of Ibiza Town.

Away from the coast, Mallorca has the most to offer with the Tramuntana mountain range offering cooler air, great views and some lovely villages where you can get a taste for the ‘real Mallorca’.

The city of Palma is also well worth visiting in its own right, and not just passing through when you fly in or catch a football game. You can easily spend a day or more visiting sites such as the huge Santa Maria cathedral and the Moorish Almudaina fortress.