Retirement pension for professional athletes: how to compute years prior to Social Security

Key data

Cyclists, basketball players, handball players and other professional athletes who developed their careers before their group was integrated into the General Regime of Social Security will be able, as of December 25, 2026, to compute those years as contributions for the purposes of their retirement pension. This is established by Royal Decree 739/2026, of September 23, published in the BOE on September 25, 2026.

The regulation closes a historical gap: many professional athletes exercised their activity for years without being integrated into any Social Security regime, which penalized them when calculating their pension. Now those periods will have formal recognition, without the athlete having to assume any cost.

What does this regulation establish?

Royal Decree 739/2026 creates a specific legal regime that allows recognition as periods contributed to the General Regime of Social Security the years of professional sports activity exercised before each group was formally integrated into Social Security. The computable period starts on March 15, 1980 and extends until the specific date of integration of each group.

The groups included in the regulation are, among others:

• Professional cyclists
• Professional basketball players
• Professional handball players
• Other professional athletes not included in the General Regime before their integration

Professional footballers are expressly excluded, as they already had their own prior integration regime.

The key aspects of the mechanism are:

• Accreditation: Must be carried out by the club or sports entity where the athlete provided their services.
• Application: Submitted to the INSS, either together with the retirement pension application, or in a subsequent review of an already recognized pension.
• Contribution bases: The minimum bases of the General Regime for those over 18 years old corresponding to each period will be applied.
• Financing: The capital cost derived from these computable periods will be deposited by the Higher Sports Council, at no cost to the athlete or to the Social Security system.

Economic and operational impact

The direct economic impact for the athlete can be significant: adding years of additional contributions increases both the regulatory base and the percentage applicable to the retirement pension. The more years that are accredited, the higher the recognized monthly pension will be.

For athletes who are already pensioners, the regulation opens the door to an upward revision of the pension already received. It is not necessary to wait until retirement: those who already receive their pension can request that it be recalculated incorporating the periods now recognizable.

From an operational perspective, clubs and sports entities assume the burden of accrediting periods of activity. This involves reviewing historical files, contracts and documentation of sports activity that may date back more than four decades. It is advisable that clubs with retired or active athletes who may benefit begin gathering documentation now.

The Higher Sports Council is the one who assumes the real financial cost of the measure, depositing the corresponding capital cost to Social Security. This means that the General Treasury of Social Security does not see its funds reduced and the system remains balanced.

Who does it affect?

• Retired professional athletes (cyclists, basketball players, handball players and other groups integrated late into SS) who want to review their pension upward.
• Active professional athletes approaching retirement who want to maximize their future pension.
• Clubs and sports entities that must accredit periods of activity of their athletes to the INSS.
• Labor advisors and management firms that manage the pensions of professional athletes or former athletes.
• Higher Sports Council, as the financing body for the capital cost.

Not affected: Professional footballers, who are expressly excluded from the scope of this regulation.

Practical example

A professional cyclist who developed his career between 1982 and 1991, before his group was integrated into the General Regime of Social Security, currently has only the years contributed since that integration recognized. With Royal Decree 739/2026, he can request the INSS to also compute those 9 years of professional cycling activity (from 1982 until the date of integration of his group).

For this, his former club must document that activity. The contribution bases that will be applied will be the minimum bases of the General Regime for those over 18 years old of each of those years. The cost of recognition is assumed by the Higher Sports Council, not the cyclist.

If the cyclist is already a pensioner, he can submit a request for review of his pension to the INSS so that it is recalculated incorporating those periods. If he has not yet retired, he can include the request together with the processing of his future retirement pension.

What should those affected do now?

1. Identify if the group is included: Verify that the professional sports modality (cycling, basketball, handball or others) is within the scope of Royal Decree 739/2026. Footballers are excluded.
2. Gather historical documentation (clubs): Clubs and sports entities must locate contracts, federation records and any document that proves the professional sports activity of their athletes from March 15, 1980 until the date of integration of the group into Social Security.
3. Contact the INSS as of December 25, 2026: The regulation enters into force on that date. From then on, athletes or their representatives can submit the request to compute periods together with the retirement pension or as a review of an already recognized pension.
4. Review already recognized pensions: Athletes who already receive a retirement pension should assess whether it is worthwhile to request an upward review incorporating the new computable periods.
5. Seek advice from a labor manager or Social Security advisor: Since the contribution bases applied will be the minimum of the General Regime, it is advisable to calculate in advance the real impact on the pension amount before starting the process.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source (BOE-A-2026-19849)

Notice: This article is merely informative in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-19849