Football is one of, if not the oldest sports in the world. Most of it is down to the countless number of historic clubs that have lent their contribution to the history of this beautiful game.
Seif Khaled compiles the oldest football clubs were founded in the middle of the 19th century and European clubs founded in the 20th century, Also Rest of the world clubs founded in the 20th century and clubs founded in the 21st century.
Clubs founded in the 19th century:
| Founded | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1857 | Sheffield FC | England | Founded as Sheffield Club |
| 1859 | Wanderers FC | England | Founded as Forest Club; Dissolved in 1887 |
| 1860 | Hallam FC | England | |
| 1861 | Crystal Palace FC | England | Dissolved in 1876; not identical with the Crystal Palace FC founded in 1905 |
| 1862 | Notts County | England | |
| 1862 | Barnes FC | England | Dissolved |
| 1863 | Stoke City FC | England | Founded as Stoke Ramblers |
| 1863 | Royal Engineers AFC | England | |
| 1864 | Brigg Town | England | |
| 1864 | Wrexham AFC | Wales | |
| 1865 | Harrow Chequers FC | England | Dissolved in 1891 |
| 1865 | Hertfordshire Rangers FC | England | Dissolved in 1898 |
| 1865 | Nottingham Forest | England | |
| 1866 | Cambridge University AFC | England | |
| 1866 | Uptown Park FC | England | Dissolved in 1911 |
| 1867 | Queen’s Park FC | Scotland | |
| 1867 | Sheffield Wednesday FC | England | Founded as The Wednesday |
| 1868 | Leyton FC | England | Dissolved in 2011 |
| 1868 | Swifts FC | England | Dissolved in 1890 |
| 1869 | Clapham Rovers | England | Dissolved in 1911 |
| 1869 | Kilmarnock FC | Scotland | |
| 1870 | Abingdon Town | England | Founded as Abingdon FC |
| 1870 | Maidenhead United | England | |
| 1870 | Marlow | England | |
| 1870 | Stranraer FC | Scotland | |
| 1871 | Old Etonians | England | |
| 1871 | Oxford University AFC | England | |
| 1871 | Reading FC | England | |
| 1871 | Southall FC | England | |
| 1871 | Uxbridge FC | England | |
| 1872 | Dumbarton FC | Scotland | |
| 1872 | Rangers FC | Scotland | |
| 1872 | Renton FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1922 |
| 1872 | Third Lanark AC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1967 |
| 1872 | Vale of Leven FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1929 |
| 1874 | Arthurlie FC | Scotland | |
| 1874 | Aston Villa | England | |
| 1874 | Bolton Wanderers | England | |
| 1874 | Grantham Town FC | England | |
| 1874 | Greenock Morton | Scotland | |
| 1874 | Hamilton Academical FC | Scotland | |
| 1874 | Heart of Midlothian FC | Scotland | |
| 1874 | Wednesbury Old Athletic† | England | Dissolved in 1893 |
| 1875 | Birmingham City | England | Founded as Small Heath Alliance |
| 1875 | Blackburn Rovers | England | |
| 1875 | Beith FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1938 |
| 1875 | Hibernian FC | Scotland | |
| 1875 | Newtown AFC | Wales | |
| 1876 | Chirk AAA FC | Wales | |
| 1876 | Falkirk FC | Scotland | |
| 1876 | Kjøbenhavns Boldklubb | Denmark | |
| 1876 | Middlesbrough FC | England | |
| 1876 | Old Carthusians FC | England | |
| 1876 | Partick Thistle FC | Scotland | |
| 1876 | Romford | England | |
| 1877 | Abercorn FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1920 |
| 1877 | Blackburn Olympic | England | Dissolved in 1889 |
| 1877 | Clyde FC | Scotland | |
| 1877 | St Mirren | Scotland | |
| 1877 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | England | |
| 1878 | Accrington FC | England | Dissolved in 1878 |
| 1878 | Airdrieonians | Scotland | Founded as Excelsior FC, dissolved in 2002 |
| 1878 | Alloa Athletic FC | Scotland | |
| 1878 | Arbroath FC | Scotland | |
| 1878 | Everton FC | England | |
| 1878 | Grimsby Town | England | |
| 1878 | Ipswich Town | England | Founded as Ipswich Association FC |
| 1878 | Manchester United FC | England | Founded as Newton Heath |
| 1878 | Royal Albert | Scotland | |
| 1878 | West Bromwich Albion FC | England | Founded as West Bromwich Strollers |
| 1878 | Blackburn Olympic FC | England | Dissolved in 1889 |
| 1879 | Ayr FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1910 |
| 1879 | Cliftonville FC | N. Ireland | |
| 1879 | Fulham FC | England | |
| 1879 | FC St. Gallen | Switzerland | |
| 1879 | Koninklijke HFC | Netherlands | Founded as Haarlemse FC |
| 1879 | Montrose FC | Scotland | |
| 1879 | Sunderland AFC | England | |
| 1879 | Swindon Town FC | England | |
| 1880 | Royal Antwerp FC | Belgium | |
| 1880 | Dykehead FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1928 |
| 1880 | Distillery | N. Ireland | |
| 1880 | Preston North End | England | |
| 1880 | Manchester City | England | Founded as St. Mark’s |
| 1881 | Berwick Rangers FC | Scotland | |
| 1881 | Colwyn Bay FC | Wales | |
| 1881 | Cowdenbeath FC | Scotland | |
| 1881 | East Stirlingshire FC | Scotland | |
| 1881 | FC Girondins de Bordeaux | France | |
| 1881 | Leyton Orient FC | England | Founded as Glyn Cricket and FC |
| 1881 | Watford FC | England | Founded as Watford Rovers |
| 1882 | Albion Rovers FC | Scotland | |
| 1882 | Bo’ness FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1945 |
| 1882 | Burnley FC | England | |
| 1882 | Corinthian FC | England | Dissolved in 1939 |
| 1882 | Glentoran FC | N. Ireland | |
| 1882 | Racing Club de France | France | |
| 1882 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | England | Founded as Hotspur |
| 1883 | Coventry City | England | Founded as Singer’s FC |
| 1883 | Raith Rovers FC | Scotland | |
| 1884 | Bristol City | England | |
| 1884 | Derby County | England | Founded as Bristol South End |
| 1884 | Leicester City FC | England | Founded as Leicester Fosse |
| 1884 | Lincoln City FC | England | |
| 1884 | Stenhousemuir FC | Scotland | |
| 1884 | St Johnstone FC | Scotland | |
| 1885 | Bury | England | |
| 1885 | Chester City | England | Dissolved in 2010 |
| 1885 | Clackmannan FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1931 |
| 1885 | Luton Town FC | England | |
| 1885 | Millwall FC | England | |
| 1885 | Southampton FC | England | |
| 1885 | Újpest FC | Hungary | |
| 1886 | Arsenal FC | England | |
| 1886 | Ayr Parkhouse FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1910 |
| 1886 | BK Frem | Denmark | |
| 1886 | Hong Kong FC | China | |
| 1886 | Linfield FC | N. Ireland | Founded as Linfield Athletic Club |
| 1886 | Motherwell FC | Scotland | |
| 1886 | Queens Park Rangers FC | England | |
| 1887 | Académica de Coimbra | Portugal | |
| 1887 | Athlone Town AFC | Ireland | |
| 1887 | Barnsley | England | |
| 1887 | Blackpool | England | |
| 1887 | Gimnasia | Argentina | |
| 1887 | Hamburger SV | Germany | Founded as SC Germania |
| 1887 | Örgryte IS | Sweden | |
| 1888 | MTK Budapest FC | Hungary | |
| 1888 | Celtic FC | Scotland | |
| 1888 | BFC Germania 1888 | Germany | |
| 1888 | Walsall FC | England | Founded as Walsall Town Swifts |
| 1889 | Brentford | England | |
| 1889 | HFC Haarlem | Netherlands | Dissolved in 2010 |
| 1889 | Mohun Bagan AC | India | |
| 1889 | Recreativo de Huelva | Spain | |
| 1889 | Sheffield United | England | |
| 1889 | BFC Viktoria 1889 | Germany | Dissolved in 2013 |
| 1889 | Wimbledon FC | England | Milton Keynes Dons since 2004 |
| 1890 | Bohemian FC | Ireland | |
| 1890 | Club Français | France | Dissolved in 1935 |
| 1890 | Halmstads BK | Sweden | |
| 1890 | Sevilla FC | Spain | |
| 1890 | Standard Athletic Club | France | |
| 1890 | St. Andrew’s Athletic Club | Argentina | Dissolved in 1894 |
| 1891 | Club Brugge KV | Belgium | |
| 1891 | Peñarol | Uruguay | Founded as Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club |
| 1892 | Club Lisbonense | Portugal | Dissolved in 1902 |
| 1892 | Liverpool FC | England | |
| 1892 | Hertha Berlin | Germany | as as BFC Hertha 92 |
| 1892 | Newcastle United FC | England | |
| 1892 | Pro Vercelli | Italy | |
| 1893 | FC Basel | Switzerland | |
| 1893 | Bathgate FC | Scotland | Dissolved in 1938 |
| 1893 | Dundee FC | Scotland | |
| 1893 | Elgin City FC | Scotland | |
| 1893 | Genoa CFC | Italy | |
| 1893 | FC Mulhouse | France | |
| 1893 | Oxford United FC | England | Founded as Heddington |
| 1893 | FC Porto | Portugal | |
| 1894 | First Vienna FC | Austria | |
| 1894 | Floriana FC | Malta | |
| 1894 | FC La Chaux-de-Fonds | Switzerland | |
| 1894 | Odds BK | Norway | |
| 1895 | Flamengo | Brazil | |
| 1895 | Oldham Athletic | England | Founded as Pine Ville |
| 1895 | FC Roubaix | France | Dissolved in 1964 |
| 1895 | Royal Daring Club Molenbeek | Belgium | Dissolved in 1973 |
| 1895 | Shelbourne FC | Ireland | |
| 1895 | West Ham United FC | England | |
| 1896 | FC Biel-Bienne | Switzerland | |
| 1896 | Hannover 96 | Germany | |
| 1896 | FC Lausanne-Sport | Switzerland | |
| 1896 | Oruro Royal Club | Bolivia | |
| 1896 | Udinese | Italy | |
| 1896 | FC Winterthur | Switzerland | |
| 1896 | FC Zürich | Switzerland | |
| 1897 | Juventus FC | Italy | |
| 1897 | Northampton Town FC | England | |
| 1897 | Red Star FC | France | Founded as Red Star Club Français |
| 1898 | Dresdner SC | Germany | |
| 1898 | FC Étoile-Sporting | Switzerland | |
| 1898 | Portsmouth | England | |
| 1898 | Standard Liège | Belgium | |
| 1898 | CR Vasco da Gama | Brazil | |
| 1898 | SK Rapid Wien | Austria | Founded as Wiener Arbeiter FK |
| 1899 | TSV 1860 Munich | Germany | |
| 1899 | FC Barcelona | Spain | |
| 1899 | K. Beerschot VAC | Belgium | Dissolved in 1999 |
| 1899 | AFC Bournemouth | England | |
| 1899 | Cardiff City | Wales | |
| 1899 | Cercle Brugge KSV | Belgium | |
| 1899 | Esporte Clube Pinheiros | Brazil | Founded as SC Germânia |
| 1899 | Ferencváros | Hungary | |
| 1899 | Olympique de Marseille | France | |
| 1899 | AC Milan | Italy | |
| 1899 | Shamrock Rovers FC | Ireland | |
| 1899 | SV Werder Bremen | Germany |
European clubs founded in the 20th century
| Founded | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | AFC Ajax | The Netherlands | |
| 1900 | FC Bayern Munich | Germany | |
| 1900 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Germany | Founded as FC Borussia |
| 1900 | FC Kaiserslautern | Germany | Founded as FC 1900 Kaiserslautern |
| 1900 | SS Lazio | Italy | |
| 1901 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | England | Founded as Brighton & Hove United |
| 1901 | FC Sète 34 | France | Founded as Olympique de Cette |
| 1901 | Stade Rennais FC | France | |
| 1902 | AS Cannes | France | |
| 1902 | Debreceni VSC | Hungary | |
| 1902 | Norwich City FC | England | |
| 1902 | Olympique Lillois | France | Dissolved in 19454 |
| 1902 | Real Madrid CF | Spain | Founded as Madrid Football Club |
| 1903 | Athletic Bilbao | Spain | |
| 1903 | Atlético Madrid | Spain | |
| 1903 | Beşiktaş JK | Turkey | |
| 1903 | Boavista FC | Portugal | |
| 1903 | Bradford City AFC | England | |
| 1904 | SL Benfica | Portugal | Founded as Sport Lisboa |
| 1904 | OGC Nice | France | |
| 1904 | LKS Pogoń Lwów | Poland | Dissolved in 1945 |
| 1904 | FC Schalke 04 | Germany | |
| 1904 | Stade Saint-Germain | France | Merged with Paris FC in 1970 |
| 1905 | Charlton Athletic FC | England | |
| 1905 | Chelsea FC | England | |
| 1905 | Crystal Palace FC | England | |
| 1905 | Galatasaray SK | Turkey | |
| 1905 | HŠK Zrinjski Mostar | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| 1906 | Sporing CP | Portugal | |
| 1906 | Toprino FC | Italy | |
| 1906 | Wisła Kraków SA | Poland | |
| 1907 | Alba Roma | Italy | Dissolved in 1907 |
| 1907 | Atalanta BC | Italy | |
| 1907 | Fenerbahçe SK | Turkey | |
| 1907 | Real Betis | Spain | |
| 1908 | RSC Anderlecht | Belgium | |
| 1908 | FC Internazionale | Italy | |
| 1908 | FC Lugano | Switzerland | |
| 1908 | Panathinaikos FC | Greece | |
| 1909 | Bologna FC | Italy | |
| 1909 | Borussia Dortmund | Germany | |
| 1909 | Budapest Honvéd FC | Hungary | |
| 1909 | SC Hakoah Vienna | Austria | Dissolved in 1949 |
| 1911 | HNK Dinamo Zagreb* | Croatia | Founded as HŠK Građanski |
| 1911 | HNK Hajduk Split | Croatia | |
| 1911 | CSKA Moscow | Russia | |
| 1911 | Vasas FC | Hungary | |
| 1912 | Swansea City | England | |
| 1914 | FK Vojvodina | Serbia | |
| 1916 | Legia Warszawa SA | Poland | Founded as Drużyna Sportowa Legia |
| 1918 | FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | Ukraine | Dissolved in 2019 |
| 1919 | CF Belenenses | Portugal | |
| 1919 | Leeds United | England | |
| 1919 | AS Monaco | France | |
| 1919 | Montpellier HSC | France | Founded as Stade Olympique Montpelliérain |
| 1919 | Valencia CF | Spain | |
| 1920 | Cagliari Calcio | Italy | |
| 1920 | Ruch Chorzów SA | Poland | |
| 1921 | SC Braga | Portugal | |
| 1921 | FC Spartak Vladikavkaz | Russia | |
| 1921 | FK Željezničar Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Founded as RŠD Željezničar |
| 1922 | KKS Lech Poznań | Poland | Founded as Lutnia Dębiec |
| 1922 | FC Lokomotiv Moscow | Russia | Founded as Kazanka |
| 1922 | FC Spartak Moscow | Russia | Founded as Moscow Sport Circle |
| 1923 | FC Dynamo Moscow | Russia | |
| 1923 | Ethnikos Piraeus FC | Greece | |
| 1924 | AEK FC | Greece | |
| 1925 | FC Dinamo Tbilisi | Georgia | |
| 1925 | Olympiacos FC | Greece | |
| 1925 | Union Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Dissolved in 2005 |
| 1925 | FC Zenit Saint Petersburg | Russia | |
| 1926 | AFC Fiorentina | Italy | |
| 1926 | SSC Napoli | Italy | |
| 1926 | PAOK | Greece | |
| 1927 | FC Dynamo Kyiv | Ukraine | |
| 1927 | AS Roma | Italy | |
| 1929 | FC Rotor Volgograd | Russia | |
| 1930 | FC Rostov | Russia | |
| 1932 | Wigan Athletic FC | England | |
| 1933 | FC Salzburg – # | Austria | |
| 1935 | FC Ararat Yerevan | Armenia | Founded as Spartak Yerevan |
| 1936 | FC Chernomorets Odessa | Ukraine | |
| 1936 | FC Shakhtar Donetsk | Ukraine | |
| 1937 | Nîmes Olympique | France | |
| 1943 | FC Nantes | France | |
| 1944 | Lille OSC | France | |
| 1945 | FK Partizan Belgrade | Serbia | |
| 1945 | Red Star Belgrade | Serbia | |
| 1946 | HNK Rijeka | Croatia | Founded as Sportsko Društvo |
| 1946 | UC Sampdoria | Italy | |
| 1946 | FK Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Founded as SD Torpedo |
| 1947 | Śląsk Wrocław | Poland | |
| 1947 | CSA Steaua București | Romania | Founded as ASA București |
| 1948 | Górnik Zabrze SSA | Poland | |
| 1948 | 1. FC Köln | Gerrmany | |
| 1950 | Olympique Lyonnais | France | |
| 1958 | FC Rubin Kazan | Russia | |
| 1958 | SC Tavriya Simferopol | Ukraine | Founded as Avanhard Simferopol |
| 1963 | Bursaspor | Turkey | |
| 1963 | FC Karpaty Lviv | Ukraine | |
| 1963 | FC Volga Nizhny Novgorod | Russia | Dissolved in 2016 |
| 1967 | Trabzonspor | Turkey | |
| 1970 | Paris Saint-Germain FC | France | |
| 1976 | FC Orenburg | Russia | Founded as Gazovik Orenburg |
| 1994 | FC Amkar Perm | Russia | Dissolved in 2018 |
# Officially FC Red Bull Salzburg since 2005
Rest of the world clubs founded in the 20th century
| Founded | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | River Plate | Argentina | |
| 1902 | Fluminense | Brazil | |
| 1918 | Club Olimpia | Uruguay | |
| 1903 | Grêmio | Brazil | |
| 1903 | Racing | Argentina | |
| 1904 | Botafogo | Brazil | |
| 1905 | Club Atlético Independiente | Argentina | |
| 1905 | Boca Juniors | Argentina | |
| 1907 | Al Ahly Club | Egypt | |
| 1908 | Atlético Mineiro | Brazil | |
| 1908 | San Lorenzo de Almagro | Argentina | |
| 1909 | Internacional | Brazil | |
| 1910 | Corinthians | Brazil | |
| 1911 | Zamalek | Egypt | |
| 1912 | América-MG | Brazil | |
| 1912 | Santos | Brazil | |
| 1914 | Palmeiras | Brazil | Founded as Palestra Italia |
| 1920 | Portuguesa | Brazil | |
| 1921 | Cruzeiro Esporte Clube | Brazil | |
| 1925 | Barcelona SC | Colombia | |
| 1925 | Colo-Colo | Chile | |
| 1927 | América de Cali | Colombia | unofficially founded 1918 |
| 1930 | São Paulo FC | Brazil | |
| 1931 | Bahia | Brazil | |
| 1943 | Goiás | Brazil | |
| 1947 | Atlético Nacional | Colombia | |
| 1957 | Al-Hilal SFC | Saudi Arabia |
Rest of the world clubs founded in the 20th century
| Founded | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | River Plate | Argentina | |
| 1902 | Fluminense | Brazil | |
| 1918 | Club Olimpia | Uruguay | |
| 1903 | Grêmio | Brazil | |
| 1903 | Racing | Argentina | |
| 1904 | Botafogo | Brazil | |
| 1905 | Club Atlético Independiente | Argentina | |
| 1905 | Boca Juniors | Argentina | |
| 1908 | Atlético Mineiro | Brazil | |
| 1908 | San Lorenzo de Almagro | Argentina | |
| 1909 | Internacional | Brazil | |
| 1910 | Corinthians | Brazil | |
| 1912 | América-MG | Brazil | |
| 1912 | Santos | Brazil | |
| 1914 | Palmeiras | Brazil | Founded as Palestra Italia |
| 1920 | Portuguesa | Brazil | |
| 1921 | Cruzeiro Esporte Clube | Brazil | |
| 1925 | Barcelona SC | Colombia | |
| 1925 | Colo-Colo | Chile | |
| 1927 | América de Cali | Colombia | unofficially founded 1918 |
| 1930 | São Paulo FC | Brazil | |
| 1931 | Bahia | Brazil | |
| 1943 | Goiás | Brazil | |
| 1947 | Atlético Nacional | Colombia | |
| 1957 | Al-Hilal SFC | Saudi Arabia |
Clubs founded in the 21st century
| Founded | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | PFC Ludogorets Razgrad | Bulgaria | Originates from Razgrad 2000 |
| 2004 | Milton Keynes Dons | England | Originates from Wimbledon |
| 2004 | FC Moscow | Russia | Dissolved in 2019 |
| 2008 | FC Krasnodar | Russia | |
| 2010 | Chester FC | England | Originates from Chester City |
| 2013 | FC Tosno | Russia | Dissolved in 2018 |
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