Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s tough season gets even harder with an unwanted record that shows how rough this year has been.
Marc-André Ter Stegen had a tough season that led to an unusual and memorable situation he probably won’t want to think about.
The 2025/26 season just ended, with clubs around the world wrapping up their final games before many top players head off to the World Cup. By the end of the season, most winners and losers were already clear. Big teams like Arsenal, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain all won their leagues in Europe’s top five competitions.
Some players really stood out, like Manchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes, who was named Premier League Player of the Season. But others had rough years, and Barcelona legend Ter Stegen is likely one of them because of a record-breaking season, but not in a good way.
Even though he only played a few games this year, the 34-year-old goalkeeper achieved something very rare: he won a league title with one team and got relegated with another, all in the same season.
Ter Stegen is currently on loan at Girona after leaving Barcelona during the winter transfer window. While he probably wasn’t celebrating when Barcelona clinched the league title against Real Madrid, he had to face a harsh reality weeks later when Girona was relegated to Spain’s second division following a 1-1 draw with Elche.
It’s worth mentioning that since joining Girona, Ter Stegen only played two games—a 1-1 draw against Getafe and a 0-1 loss to Real Oviedo—before a thigh injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. This injury also meant he missed out on being picked for Germany’s World Cup squad in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Germany will be in Group E at the World Cup, playing against Curacao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador, with Manuel Neuer, Oliver Baumann, and Alexander Nubel chosen as the goalkeepers instead.
Before this thigh injury, Ter Stegen was already struggling, having spent time off the pitch last year due to a torn patellar tendon and back problems. As a result, he lost his spot at Barcelona, with Joan Garcia taking over as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Both Barcelona and Ter Stegen probably hoped his loan to Girona would go well, maybe helping him return to the first team or secure a permanent move in the summer. His current contract with Barcelona runs until 2028.
Unfortunately, his injury, high salary—which is one of the highest at Barcelona—and age make finding a new club tough. This all puts Ter Stegen’s football future in serious question.