Copa del Rey
2026 champions — the club's fourth title
Europa League
Thanks to the cup
Stadium
Reale Arena — 40,000
Coach
Pellegrino Matarazzo — since 12.2025
About the stadium
Reale Arena, also known by its old name Anoeta, sits about three kilometers south of the center of San Sebastián in the Basque Country — one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. Until 2019 an athletics track separated the stands from the pitch, and the major renovation removed it and pulled the stands in, so today it's a continuous 40,000-seat bowl with four sides: Tribuna Principal in the west, the main stand along the halfway line; Tribuna Este opposite it; and Fondo Norte and Fondo Sur behind the goals. The address is Anoeta Pasealekua 1, and the Anoeta underground railway station is right next to the stadium. What makes this place special isn't just the football: San Sebastián is Spain's pintxos capital, and the bars of the old town are an inseparable part of matchday. Even the rivalry here is different — in the Basque derby against Athletic Club, fans mix in the streets before the match, drinking and singing together, because above the rivalry stands a shared Basque identity.
FAQ
How do you buy tickets for a Real Sociedad match?
Tickets for a Real Sociedad match are sold in the official online sale, and no membership is required to buy. Real Sociedad is a members' club, and about 92 percent of capacity is held by season-ticket holders — meaning the inventory for the general public is thin. This sale is for single tickets, and unlike most La Liga clubs, the club releases matches many months in advance: all matches through December open for sale at the start of the season, and the rest in December — for comparison, Athletic Club opens about two weeks before. The second, and more important, source for anyone coming from outside is the seat-return mechanism: a member who isn't attending can return their seat to the club through the app, and the club resells it — if it sells, the member gets 40 percent of its value. The practical implication: inventory trickles onto the site seat by seat in the days before the match, so don't treat 'sold out' as final. TikTik gets tickets for Real Sociedad matches without tracking that window.
How do you get to Reale Arena?
Reale Arena is reached by Euskotren train to Anoeta station, right next to the stadium. On foot it's up to a half-hour walk from central San Sebastián, almost entirely flat along the Urumea river — entirely doable. The convenient way is the Euskotren train: Anoeta station is right by the stadium, one stop and three minutes from Amara station in the center, with a train every 10 to 30 minutes. By bus: Dbus line 28 from Boulevard street in the old town is the regular route, and on matchdays the company runs an enhanced service — line 28 every five minutes starting an hour before the match, and line 17 every ten minutes. After the final whistle, buses depart from six marked points around the square by the stadium, split by destination.
Is there parking at Reale Arena?
Yes, but Reale Arena's own car park is very small — the usual alternative is the Illunbe car park. The stadium has its own car park but with very few spaces, and thousands of people are chasing the same spots — that's the weak point of matchday here. The common alternatives are the Illunbe car park, about a ten-minute walk from the ground, then Txofre about twenty minutes and Boulevard about twenty-five. Street parking on the nearby streets is regulated and paid, and central San Sebastián also has a low-emissions zone. For navigation: Anoeta Pasealekua 1, exit 7 off the GI-20 road. The clear recommendation here is the train — the station is right at the entrance.
How do you get from Israel to a Real Sociedad match?
For a Real Sociedad match you fly to Bilbao, and from there a direct bus to San Sebastián — about an hour and a quarter. The practical airport is Bilbao, about 105 kilometers from San Sebastián, because that's where the international connectivity is. From there a direct bus runs from the arrivals platform to San Sebastián's central bus station — a journey of about an hour and a quarter, at an hourly frequency, increased to every half hour in July and August. San Sebastián also has its own airport, about twenty kilometers from the city, but it only operates flights to Madrid and Barcelona. Another alternative: Biarritz in France, about 45 kilometers away. Anyone coming from Madrid can also take a Renfe train, but it's a relatively long journey and the domestic flight is usually preferable.
Does an Israeli need a visa to fly to the match?
No. Israelis enter Schengen-area countries visa-free for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and all that's required is a valid passport. Worth knowing what's coming: the European Union is launching the ETIAS authorization system in the last quarter of 2026. Once it takes effect, an online authorization will be required in advance, at a cost of €7, valid for three years or until the passport expires — whichever comes first. As of today the system is not active and no action is required from you. Important warning: the EU warns that many sites impersonate the official site, use the EU logo and charge inflated fees or steal passport and credit card details. There is only one official site — europa.eu/etias — and any address not on the europa.eu domain is not official.
Where's the best place to sit at Reale Arena?
At Reale Arena the best viewing angle is Tribuna Principal in the west, and the loud end is Fondo Sur. Inside Fondo Sur is the official supporters' stand called Grada Aitor Zabaleta — named after a Real Sociedad fan murdered in 1998 by Atlético Madrid ultras. The club built this stand specifically for the renovated stadium in 2019 and presented it as the most symbolic and emotional part of the ground; it sold out almost completely before it even opened. Away fans sit in the upper tier of Fondo Norte, in the section next to Tribuna Este, entering through Gate 9 — an allocation of about 500 seats for a regular league match, and far more for European matches. Away tickets are personal and named, and original ID is checked at entry.
What's special about Real Sociedad?
Real Sociedad are the reigning Copa del Rey champions, and a club with a strongly Basque identity. On 18 April 2026, at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville, Real Sociedad beat Atlético Madrid 2-2 after extra time and 4-3 on penalties, with the team's goalkeeper Unai Marrero saving two spot-kicks — the club's fourth Copa del Rey title. That win is what earned them a European spot, despite finishing tenth in the league, as well as a place in the Spanish Super Cup. Beyond football, this is a club with a strongly Basque identity: singing in the stands is in Basque, and there's a network of more than a hundred organized local supporters' clubs. Manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, an American born in New Jersey who has previously managed in the Bundesliga, took over the role in December 2025.
What's Real Sociedad's big match in the 2026/27 season?
Real Sociedad's big match is the Basque derby against Athletic Club, on 2 May 2027. It's played at Reale Arena on a Sunday, and the return match at San Mamés is on 1 November 2026. This is one of the most special derbies in Europe precisely because of what it is not: there's no hostile segregation, fans mix in the bars before the match and swap colors. Alongside it, two big rivals visit late in the season: Real Madrid in February 2027 and Barcelona on Sunday, 16 May 2027. The team is also playing in the Europa League thanks to their cup win — the draw is held on 28 August 2026 and the opponents aren't yet known. Real Sociedad open the league away against Real Betis on 21 August, and their first home match is on 29 August 2026 against Espanyol.
