Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been placed under a transfer embargo by FIFA for the next two windows.
The punishment relates to the signing of underage players from abroad and is the same sanction Barcelona received for the same offence.
Barca, during the period covered by their transfer embargo, signed Aleix Vidal from Sevilla and Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid but were only able to register them once the ban was up in January 2016.
FIFA confirmed the transfer embargos cover the summer window of 2016 and the winter window of 2017, not the transfer window currently open, as had been suggested by early reports.
“The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions,” a statement on FIFA’s website read.
“Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods.”
Both clubs have also been fined, €822,000 for Atletico and €329,000 for Madrid and given 90 days to correct the status of all players concerned.
"The decisions, which were notified to the parties concerned today, were made based on the specific elements of each case. They follow investigations initially conducted by FIFA Transfer Matching System GmbH (FIFA TMS) and subsequently by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee as part of disciplinary proceedings,” the statement continued.
“The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 (Atletico de Madrid) and between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid).”
