These are the five oldest football clubs in football history in Europe over the years.
Football we know today is attributed to most of its global popularity, an early pioneer in watching the ball literally. In Europe, a modern version of the sport is really beginning to take shape, with some clubs enduring the test of time for more than a century.
These teams are the blueprints of professional structure, competition and tradition that we see in the game today.
Let’s take a look at the oldest football club in Europe, whose legacy continues to respond through the sport.
Which club is the oldest club in Europe?
1. Sheffield Football Club (1857)
Sheffield Football Club is not only another football club, but also the oldest football club in the world, founded in 1857. What makes it unique? This is the first independent club to be open to everyone, not bound to schools or institutions.
The club helped shape modern football to some extent, although the rules of association were not fully adopted until 1877. Today, Sheffield Football Club played a role in the low league, but its legacy continues.
2. Clay Wanderer (1860)
Founded in 1860, the Wanderers Football Club is the oldest football club in London and one of the oldest football clubs in the world. The club originated from an informal match between railway workers and local villagers in St Mary Cray, Kent, during the construction of the Clay Valley Railway viaduct.
Throughout history, Clay Rangers have participated in various regional leagues including the Kent League, the London League and the Eastmea League. It is worth noting that they were the Kent League champions in the 1901-02 season, and have won multiple league championships and advanced over the years. As of the 2024-25 season, the club participated in the Isthmus League Prime Minister’s Division.
3. HallamFC (1860)
Hallam FC was founded in 1860 and is officially the second largest football club in the world. Their first match was played against Sheffield FC on Boxing Day of the same year, and is considered the oldest club-club match in football history. The landmark game is held on Sandygate Road in Sheffield, which remains the club’s home court and regards the Guinness World Records as the oldest football stadium in the world.
In 1867, Hallam won the Youdan Cup, the first organized football tournament ever, and won history by defeating Norfolk FC in the four years before the FA Cup. Today, Haram Football Club is in the North County East League Prime Minister’s Division, British Football Level 9. Although they may not be household names in modern games, their legacy as pioneers of the sport remains the enduring pride of supporters and football historians.
4. NottsCounty (1862)
Founded in 1862, Notts County is widely regarded as the world’s oldest professional football club, and even the Football Association. The club was a founding member of the 1888 British Football League and inspired Juventus’ iconic black and white stripes in 1903.
Despite strong early attendance on the earliest flights and a FA Cup title in 1894, the history of these pies surpassed the top division and returned to the Football League in 2023 four years after non-league football.
5. StokeCity FC (1863)
Stoke City is one of the oldest clubs in the world football game, allegedly founded in 1863, although their first recording game did not play the Stoke Ramblers until 1868. The club abandoned the “Ramboyer” in 1878 and adopted the name Stoke City in 1925 after the city status of Stoke-on-Trent was at an altitude.
They were founding members of the Football League in 1888, although they achieved the lowest level in the first two seasons and were briefly excluded before returning. They have been around professional games since 1919.
These clubs set the stage for a global sport that unites billions of dollars. While some no longer compete at the highest level, their history has been preserved in every pass, goal and cheer today. Whether you are a casual fan or a football historian, reexamining these roots reminds us of the development of the game.
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