Real Sociedad is a football club from San Sebastián, Basque Country. They have entered European competitions representing Spain's La Liga on 21 occasions.

Summary The club have never appeared in a European final. Their best performance was in the 1982–83 European Cup when they reached the semi-finals, losing narrowly to eventual winners Hamburger SV.

La Real have thrice competed in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. In 2003–04, they qualified directly as runners-up in the previous season's domestic league, and progressed from the group before being beaten by Lyon in the first knockout round. Ten years later, in 2013–14 – having played no other European football and spent three years in the second division in the interim – they were again paired with Lyon, this time in the playoff round, and gained revenge by eliminating them, but subsequently finished bottom of the section. They returned to the competition after a decade in 2023–24, and progressed past the group stage for the second time.

In 2017, the club competed in the UEFA Europa League groups for the first time after gaining entry directly to that stage, having fallen in the last qualification round three years earlier.

In 2020, La Real appeared to be heading out of the competition at the group stage in the 90th minute of the last matchday, before a goal in stoppage time against SSC Napoli earned them a point, while a goal at almost the same moment in the other fixture meant defeat and elimination for AZ Alkmaar who had been set to go through.Real Sociedad progress in Europa League with last minute drama at Napoli, Football Espana, 10 December 2020

Overall record Accurate as of 17 September 2026

CompetitionPldWDLGFGAGDWin% (5) (1) (15)

Source: UEFA.comPld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference.

Results Key

1R: First round 2R: Second round 3R: Third round QF: Quarter-final SF: Semi-final 3Q: Third qualifying round PO: Play-off round

a.e.t.: After extra time p: Penalty shoot-out Round or group progressed Round or group eliminated

Matches Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate 1974–75 UEFA Cup 1R Baník Ostrava 0–1 0–4 0–5 1975–76 UEFA Cup 1R Grasshopper 1–1 3–3 4–4 2R Liverpool 1–3 0–6 1–9 1979–80 UEFA Cup 1R Internazionale 2–0 0–3 2–3 1980–81 UEFA Cup 1R Újpest 1–0 1–1 2–1 2R Zbrojovka Brno 2–1 1–1 3–2 3R Lokeren 2–2 0–1 2–3 1981–82 European Cup 1R CSKA Sofia 0–0 0–1 0–1 1982–83 European Cup 1R Víkingur Reykjavík 3–2 1–0 4–2 2R Celtic 2–0 1–2 3–2 QF Sporting CP 2–0 0–1 2–1 SF Hamburger SV 1–1 1–2 2–3 1987–88 Cup Winner's Cup 1R Śląsk Wrocław 0–0 2–0 2–0 2R Dinamo Minsk 1–1 0–0 1–1 1988–89 UEFA Cup 1R Dukla Prague 2–1 2–3 4–4 2R Sporting CP 0–0 2–1 2–1 3R 1. FC Köln 1–0 2–2 3–2 QF VfB Stuttgart 1–0 0–1 1–1 1990–91 UEFA Cup 1R Lausanne Sports 1–0 2–3 3–3 2R Partizan 1–0 0–1 1–1 1992–93 UEFA Cup 1R Vitória de Guimarães 2–0 0–3 2–3 1998–99 UEFA Cup 1R Sparta Prague 1–0 4–2 5–2 2R Dynamo Moscow 3–0 3–2 6–2 3R Atlético Madrid 2–1 1–4 3–5 2003–04 Champions League Group D Juventus 0–0 2–4 2nd Galatasaray 1–1 2–1 Olympiacos 1–0 2–2 Round of 16 Lyon 0–1 0–1 0–2 2013–14 Champions League PO Lyon 2–0 2–0 4–0 Group A Manchester United 0–0 0–1 4th Bayer Leverkusen 0–1 1–2 Shakhtar Donetsk 0–2 0–4 2014–15 Europa League 3Q Aberdeen 2–0 3–2 5–2 PO Krasnodar 1–0 0–3 1–3 2017–18 Europa League Group L Zenit Saint Petersburg 1–3 1–3 2nd Rosenborg 4–0 1–0 Vardar 6–0 3–0 Round of 32 Red Bull Salzburg 2–2 1–2 3–4 2020–21 Europa League Group F Napoli 0–1 1–1 2nd AZ 1–0 0–0 Rijeka 2–2 1–0 Round of 32 Manchester United 0–4 0–0 0–4 2021–22 Europa League Group B Monaco 1–1 1–2 2nd PSV Eindhoven 3–0 2–2 Sturm Graz 1–1 1–0 Knockout play-offs RB Leipzig 1–3 2–2 3–5 2022–23 Europa League Group E Manchester United 0–1 1–0 1st Omonia 2–1 2–0 Sheriff Tiraspol 3–0 2–0 Round of 16 Roma 0–0 0–2 0–2 2023–24 Champions League Group D Internazionale 1–1 0–0 1st Red Bull Salzburg 0–0 2–0 Benfica 3–1 1–0 Round of 16 Paris Saint-Germain 1–2 0–2 1–4 2024–25 Europa League League phase Nice 1–1 13th Anderlecht 1–2 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–1 Viktoria Plzeň 1–2 Ajax 2–0 Dynamo Kyiv 3–0 Lazio 1–3 PAOK 2–0 Knockout play-offs Midtjylland 5–2 2–1 7–3 Round of 16 Manchester United 1–1 1–4 2–5 2026–27 Europa League League phase Bournemouth 1–2 Union Saint-Gilloise Lillestrøm Lyon Crystal Palace Torreense Viktoria Plzeň Juventus

Notes

References

External links

Real Sociedad at UEFA RSSSF European Cups Archive Club profile at BDfutbol (match reports in each season)