Longest Away Day, Oldest Player - Unusual records to be set in the 2025/26 campaign

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In the 2025/26 campaign across the world, there are various unusual records that are due to be set...

Most Remote Club

Cut adrift in the mid-Atlantic, Santa Clara - based in Portugal's Azores archipelago - hold the unique distinction of being the most geographically isolated top-flight club in Europe.

Almost 1,000km of ocean separate the islanders from Madeira outfit Nacional, their nearest domestic rival, while every other away game requires a 1,500km flight to the mainland, equating to more than one full lap of the planet over the course of the league season.

But the club has refused to let geography hold them back. They followed up promotion back to the Primeira Liga in the summer of 2024 with a fifth-place finish in the top flight last term, qualifying for Europe as a result.

Longest Away Day

Based in an exclave between Lithuania and Poland, Baltika Kaliningrad face the toughest travel demands in the Russian Premier League. Every away trip begins with a flight to Moscow or Saint Petersburg, with a connection often then required to destinations elsewhere in the country. On top of that, the closure of airspace over the Baltic States means Baltika must fly via the North Sea corridor, adding to their travel time.

Judged by straight-line distance alone, however, Baltika are not involved in the Russian top flight's biggest away day in 2025-26. That distinction goes to Zenit v Dynamo Makhachkala, which will be the most distant domestic match-up in UEFA at 2,430km apart.

But even that pales in comparison with the away days in the second tier - SKA-Khabarovsk and Chernomorets Novorossiysk are separated by 6,912km and seven different times zones.

Oldest Player

Legendary Japanese striker Kazu Miura, who started his playing career before the fall of the Iron Curtain, was widely labelled as Europe's oldest pro-footballer at any level when he signed for Oliveirense in Portugal's second tier aged 55 in 2023. But he is a relative youngster compared to Mykola Lykhovydov, who is still playing for Real Pharma in Ukraine's third tier at 59 and is - to the best of our knowledge - the oldest active professional player anywhere in the world.

🇺🇦↔️ Ukrainian professional football might have the widest player age range in Europe!

Oleh Dzyurynets of Rukh recently became the Premier League's youngest-ever player at 15 years & 17 days, while 59-year-old Mykola Lykhovydov is still playing for third-division Real Pharma! pic.twitter.com/lpb24yPsU1

— The Sweeper (@SweeperPod) August 18, 2025

Lykhovydov, who credits the spring water from an artesian well at the club's training ground as the secret of his eternal youth, initially wanted to continue playing until 50. But with his 60th birthday now fast approaching, he simply wants to keep going for as long as he can.

Smallest Club

Top-flight village clubs that punch above their weight are nothing new - take surprise Swedish Allsvenskan side Mjallby, whose home village of Hallevik has only 1,485 inhabitants.

But a new contender has now emerged for the title of smallest top-flight club in a major UEFA nation. Polish team Bruk-Bet Termalica, who are based in the village of Nieciecza (population: 750), returned to the Ekstraklasa for a second stint at the top level this summer.

Until recently, the title of smallest European settlement with a top-flight club belonged to Loughgall in Northern Ireland, a tiny village in County Armagh with a population of just 282.

But local club Loughgall FC's two-year stay in the Premiership came to an end last season.

Including micro-states, the smallest place currently hosting a top-tier team is the parish of San Giovanni sotto le Penne in San Marino - home to AS San Giovanni and only 30 residents.

Best Represented City

With nearly two-thirds of Iceland's population living in Greater Reykjavik, it is no surprise that eight of its 12 top-flight clubs are based there too. In fact, the Icelandic league is so capital-centric that teams can sometimes go months on end without leaving the city - KR, for instance, played 14 straight games in the capital region between April 14 and July 6.

Reykjavik is closely trailed in the ranking by London and Yerevan, which are each home to seven clubs in their respective top flights - the English and Armenian Premier Leagues.

Istanbul matches, involving seven teams in the Turkish Super Lig, is the most of any non-capital city in a UEFA nation. Uniquely, its clubs span two continents: Basaksehir, Besiktas, Eyupspor, Fatih Karagumruk, Kasimpasa and Galatasaray on the European side of the city, and Fenerbahce in Asia.

Words by Lee Wingate.