La Liga release 2025-26 salary limits: Barcelona heavily down, Sevilla remain in significant trouble | OneFootball

La Liga have released their updated salary limits for the 2025-26 season, with Barcelona suffering a significant decrease in their salary limit. While Sevilla were one of the biggest risers, they remain in significant trouble.

Barcelona were one of the major risers after the January transfer window, following the €100m lease of VIP seats over a period of 30 years at the end of December. However after auditors Crowe decided to remove the deal from their accounts until the deal was considered validated in their eyes, this occurring in April, those funds have disappeared from the Barcelona salary limit. The Catalan giants are now down €112m from their January salary limit, representing a 24% decrease from €463m to €351m, perhaps explaining their more frugal spending.

Image via La Liga

All the same, they remain the second-highest salary limit in La Liga, €24m ahead of Atletico Madrid’s €327m. This figure is up €13m, but both remain at less than half of Real Madrid’s €761m, which has risen €6.1m. Barcelona’s salary limit is more than double that of the fourth-highest side in La Liga, Villarreal, who have a salary limit of €173.1m.

Sevilla bottom of salary limit table

Sevilla were the side with the third-highest rise in their salary limit, in this case €21.5m, but still remain at a figure of €22.14m, having been the lowest last year too at less than million euros. Los Nervionenses have been forced to sell big this summer with star men Dodi Lukebakio and Loic Bade exiting, but are likely still well over their salary limit.

The next lowest are promoted sides Levante (€35.5m), Elche (€40.5), and Alaves (€41m). The sides to see their limits decrease the most are Barcelona (€112m), Real Betis (€34.2m), Real Sociedad (€31.9m) and Girona (€23.5m), with the latter two missing out on European football.

Villarreal on the up after Champions League qualification

The biggest risers were Espanyol, not including the promoted sides, who were up €51.2m after escaping their own salary limit hell. Following them were Villarreal (€37.2m up), Sevilla (€21.5m up) and Athletic Club (€21m up).

Promoted teams make up three of the five bottom budgets, but the financial boost from their promotion mean Real Oviedo are working with three times their salary limit in Segunda, Elche at 2.5 times their previous limit, and Levante over eight times their previous limit.