Top 10 Oldest Football Club in the World

Football has been in existence since time immemorial. The sport evolved at an incredible pace in the mid-19th century and took its modern form. The game was a social affair, and clubs were found to fuel passion and interest. Since Britain was the home of football, it is not quite astonishing to see many British clubs on the list. Sheffield FC, founded in 1857, is the oldest football club in the world.

Clubs were absolutely necessary to give the players a sense of belonging and identity. It also helped attract fans early to the sport as they associated with the club based on its location and culture. Several key figures recognised this and started founding clubs, which became the beating hearts of several towns. It is also necessary to keep the club active and running so that they are still functional in 2025. Through hundreds of struggles and a century of existence, let us take a look at the oldest football club in the world.

List of the Oldest Football Clubs in the World

For the sake of continuity, we are only looking at association football clubs that were recognised by FIFA as the oldest in the world. The clubs on this list are also active and still participate in the football leagues. The clubs that were defunct were not considered. Now let’s find out which is the oldest football club in the world:

Which is the Oldest Football Club in the World?

Having seen the table, you might have found an interesting pattern. Only a few clubs are competing in the top flights. Very few clubs on the list have seen extreme success. A few clubs have struggled to see success. Hold on as we go through the clubs and find out more about the oldest football club in the world still playing.

10. Kilmarnock (Scottish Premiership)

A Scottish club greets us first in the lift of the oldest football club in the world. Kilmarnock are the second-oldest professional football club in Scotland. The Killie were one of the first clubs to join the Scottish Football Association when it was founded in the 1870s. They call themselves the Pride of Ayrshire and play at the famous Rugby Park.

The club, in its century-long history, won the league only once in 1965. However, they succeeded in cup competitions by winning the Scottish Cup multiple times and the Scottish League Cup in 2012. They remain a constant member of the Scottish top flight. But they fail to challenge the duopoly of Rangers and Celtic as they wait for an opportunity to clinch the crown again.

9. Sheffield Wednesday (Championship)

The club was formed as an offshoot of the Wednesday Cricket Club as the Wednesday Football Club in 1867. The name Wednesday was picked as the club played its games on Wednesdays in the afternoon. The club went professional in 1887 and joined the Football League in 1892. They added the city name as a prefix to become Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls are one of the most successful English sides ever. After winning the FA Cup in 1896, they added back-to-back league titles twice in 1903 and 1904, first and later in 1929 and 1930. They were the founding members of the Premier League in 1992. They have almost spent their entire time in the top two flights of the country. The club reached the Championship recently after not playing in the top flight since 2000 and aims to return soon.

8. Queen’s Park (Scottish Premiership)

Queen’s Park is Scotland’s oldest football club and the 8th oldest football club in the world. Queen’s Park was founded as an amateur club, and they retained that status for the first 152 years. Nicknamed the Spiders, they play in their iconic white and black hoops. The club’s amateur motto was well reflected in their Latin motto, ‘To play for the sake of playing’.

They are the only Scottish club to have played in the English FA Cup final and were runners-up twice. Their domination of the Scottish Cup was incredible. They won it 10 times before the 20th century. Although Celtic claimed their 11th title to be crowned the most times, Queen’s Park’s record stood for 51 years. The club lost its way in the 21st century before making it to the Championship again in 2023.

7. Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)

The most successful club in the list of the top 10 oldest football clubs in the world. Nottingham Forest enjoys EFL’s recognition as the oldest active member of the Football League, as there is a lack of evidence in Stoke City’s claim. The club, since its formation, has been bound by the FA rules.

They won a couple of FA Cup titles before they entered their golden era. Under the legendary manager Brian Clough, they won the league title in 1978. They even bettered it by winning two back-to-back European Cups (Champions League predecessor) in 1979 and 1980. After incredible success, the club lost its way as it dropped out of the top flight. They struggled hard for two decades. Under Evangelos Marinakis’ passionate ownership and Nuno Espirito Santo’s management, the club managed to qualify for European spots in 2025 after a stellar season.

6. Brigg Town (Northern Counties East League)

Brigg Town, founded in 1864, is one of the oldest football clubs to have played an officially recorded match in 1864. They are also the oldest town club in the world. The club, based in Lincolnshire, competed in the Lincolnshire Cup and Lincolnshire League and was supremely successful.

Their performances in the Lincoln region league earned them an invitation to the English League system. They, however, failed to reach the upper echelons of English football. The Zebras made it to the first round of the FA Cup in 2002 but were knocked out. They currently compete in the Northern Counties East League Division One. The club switched to a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2017 and is run for the benefit of the community by a board of directors.

5. Wrexham AFC (EFL Championship)

The club doesn’t need any special introduction now, thanks to its owners and the documentary. They are the oldest football club in Wales and were struggling for identity. The club’s fortunes took a massive turn when Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club. After years of mediocrity, the club started flying under new management. After 30 years in the National League, they returned to the Football League in 2023 after winning the title with a record 111 points. They won a shock promotion to the Championship and will keep kicking on until they reach the top flight.

The Red Dragons play in the oldest international football stadium. Their stadium Racecourse Ground, is an iconic venue. The club decided to join the English Football League for better opportunities. The club are the record winners of the Welsh Cup with 23 titles to their name. They peaked by reaching the second tier in 1977 before being relegated in 1982. The club was eyed by two Hollywood stars who changed its course forever in 2021.

4. Stoke City (EFL Championship)

There is some controversy regarding Stoke’s founding year. There are many claims that the founding year should be 1868, as the club’s first recorded match was played in that year. However, the Potters embraced 1863 as their founding year, making them one of the top 10 oldest football clubs in the world. Stoke was initially known as Stoke Ramblers and then later became Stoke City in 1925 when Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status.

Stoke was a founding member of the Football League in 1988. They weren’t re-elected in 1890 owing to their poor performance. However, the club made it back to the professional stages and never dropped out after 1919. They made their name in the Premier League in the Barclays era as the club had many heroes like Peter Crouch, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic. However, they lost their mojo and were relegated to the Championship and are trying to find their way back.

3. Notts County (EFL League Two)

Notts County is the oldest professional football club in the world. The club was founded in 1862 on its own rules. They are nicknamed the Magpies, and their famous black and white stripes were adopted by the Italian giants Juventus in 1903. Notts County was one of the founding members of the Football League in 1888 and was a regular top-flight presence.

They even finished third in the 1890/91 season, showcasing their strength. The FA Cup triumph in 1984 remains their only major trophy to date. The club went into the wilderness after the turn of the century. After four years in non-league football, they were recently promoted to the Football League pyramid again. They are desperate for a return to the top-flight again.

2. Hallam FC (Northern Premier League Division One East)

Hallam FC was founded in 1860 in Crosspool, Sheffield. They entered the world’s first-ever football tournament, the Youdan Cup. They even created history by winning the tournament in 1867 as the first-ever cup winners. They have played in their stadium, Sandygate, throughout their history. The stadium was recognised as the oldest football ground in the World as well as the oldest football club in the world.

They started following the Sheffield rules and were the rivals of Sheffield FC. Their derby is known as the Rules Derby, as both clubs later adopted the FA rules. Hallam was also a cricket club before it specifically catered to football. The club played in Hallamshire leagues before entering the FA league and never saw great success. They recently got promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One East, the eighth tier of English football.

1. Sheffield FC (Northern Counties East League)

Sheffield FC is officially recognised by FIFA as the oldest football club in the world still playing. They followed the Sheffield Rules before switching to the Association Football code. Despite the name, the club are currently based in Dronfield, Derbyshire. In 2004, they received the FIFA Order of Merit alongside Real Madrid. They were also inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame to commemorate their 150th anniversary.

The club didn’t have sustained success despite its early history. They even played in the semi-pro league after suffering a few relegations. They are currently competing in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division after being relegated from Northern Premier League Division One East, which is the ninth tier of English football. They proudly call their home ground as Home of Football. The club are looking for a massive turn of fortune to make it up the ladder.