Tenerife losing ground: record low representation in the Third Federation.
In the new season of the Canary Group of the Third Federation, there is a record low representation of teams from Tenerife, which indicates the decline of football on the island.
This Friday, at 9:00 PM, at the Pablo Hernández Morales stadium, the teams "Telde" and "Arucas" will kick off the new season of the Canary Group of the Third Federation. It is no coincidence that two teams from Gran Canaria are opening the season in the highest football league in the Canary Islands. Rather, it was to be expected, as there are a record low number of teams from Tenerife in the league this year.
Starting from the 1980/81 season, when the Third Division became regional, the 2025/26 season will have the lowest representation of teams from Tenerife. Only four teams – "Tenerife C", "Marino", "Real Unión", and "San Miguel" – will represent the island of Teide, which is only 22% of the total participants. This is a sad indicator of the decline of football in Tenerife.
A similar situation occurred only in the 2022/23 season, when there were also four teams from Tenerife in the Third Division, but then there were 16 teams in the league, not 18 as there are now. So the percentage was slightly higher – 31%.
Looking more broadly at the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, football on the island of Palma looks better than in Las Palmas. "Atlético Paso" (which was relegated from the Second Federation), "Mensajero", and "Tenisca", which returned after being relegated to Primera at the end of the 2022/23 season, make the score 7-11 in favor of the eastern islands.
The island of Palma is so well represented in the highest regional league that only once in the 46 years of the Third Canary League (formerly Group XII of the Third Division) has there not been a team from Palma. This happened in the 2023/24 season, when "Mensajero" was promoted and "Tenisca" was relegated. In contrast, twice (in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons) there were as many as five teams from Palma in the Third Division. In addition to "Tenisca", "Mensajero", and "Atlético Paso", "Los Llanos", "Tijarafe", "Victoria de Tazacorte", and "San Andrés y Sauces" also competed.
At the same time, only two teams from Santa Cruz de Tenerife that are not from the main island or Palma have risen to the Third Division: "UD Gomera" and "Valle Frontera", which last played in this league in the 2002/03 season.
Overall, in the 46 years of the Third Division on the islands, the western province dominated in the late 80s, with 14 teams in the 1985/86, 1986/87, and 1987/88 seasons, and 13 teams in the 1984/85, 1989/90, and 1990/91 seasons. Since then, the number of representatives has never exceeded 12. There were twelve teams in the 2008/09 – 2011/12 seasons, and then again in the 2013/24 season. The decline began with the 2021/22 season, especially among teams from Tenerife. Since then, there have been: 6, 4, 6, 5, and 4.
In the list of teams from Tenerife in the 2025/26 season, it is worth noting the first-ever participation of the second team of "Tenerife" (team C led by Rayco García), the preservation of the place by "San Miguel" after the disappearance of "Ibarra" due to financial problems, the decision of the Royal Spanish Football Federation not to sell the place at auction but to award it based on sporting merit, the continuation of performances by "Marino" (an example of good management with President Paco Santamaría), and the return of "Real Unión".
It is "Real Unión" that will be the first of the Tenerife teams to start the 2025/26 season. On Saturday at 11:00 AM, "Real Unión" will host "Tenisca". An hour later, "Atlético Paso" will play against "Tamaraceite" in Gran Canaria, and in the afternoon, "San Miguel" will travel to Fuerteventura to meet "Herbania" (5:00 PM). On Sunday at 12:00 PM, "Mensajero" will play at home against "San Bartolomé", "Marino" will meet "San Fernando", and "Tenerife C" will play away against "Lanzarote".
Although football is declining throughout the island, the north of Tenerife is suffering the most. For the first time in 46 years, there will be no team from the north of the island in the Third Division. The move of "Santa Úrsula" to the capital and the renaming to "Real Unión" only accelerated this process. This was predictable, but still sad, given the history of teams such as "Realejos", "Puerto Cruz", "Orotava", or "Icodense". Only "Puerto Cruz" of Kiko Ratón (who will turn 49 on September 19) plays in Primera. The other three teams are currently playing in the First Regional League.
"Icodense" almost reached Primera last season but lost to "Victoria de Tazacorte" in a penalty shootout. In the return match in Icod de los Vinos, David Alonso's team will try again this season.