Racing Santander pulled off a surprise 2-1 victory over top-flight Athletic Club in an International Club Friendly on Thursday, July 31st, 2025. The Segunda División side, playing at home in a match kicking off at 01:00, showed great character to come from behind and defeat their La Liga opponents. Athletic Club took an early lead but were unable to hold on, as Racing scored twice in the second half to secure a morale-boosting preseason result. The match process saw Athletic's star striker open the scoring within the first ten minutes. Racing Santander equalized from a corner just after the hour mark and then snatched a winner with a spectacular long-range effort in the 75th minute. A key incident was a disallowed goal for Athletic for a foul in the buildup, which would have made it 2-0. As a friendly, the result has no bearing on league tables but serves as a significant confidence builder for Racing's upcoming league campaign. The Athletic Club manager stated the match was useful for fitness despite the loss, while the Racing coach was delighted with his team's response after going behind. Both teams utilized their squads heavily, with numerous substitutions throughout the match.