There are thousands of football clubs spread across the globe involved in one competition or the other. These sides usually play in tournaments organized within their country of origin. However, a few football clubs play their football competitions in other countries for various reasons. Find out 10 football clubs that play in a different country.
1. Cardiff City FC
A few Welsh clubs compete in the English football league. Cardiff City FC is a football club based in Cardiff, Wales, but have been playing in the English Football League since 1920. They have spent 17 seasons in the top flight and are the only non-English club to have won the FA Cup back in 1927. They currently play in the EFL Championship. Cardiff and other Welsh clubs compete in the Welsh Cup. Cardiff have won the Welsh Cup 22 times, making them the second-most successful team in the competition’s history behind Wrexham.
2. Swansea City
Like Cardiff, Swansea City, is a football club based in Swansea, Wales, that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was established in 1912 and won promotion to the Premier League in 2011, but were relegated to the Championship in 2018. However, Swansea won the 2012/13 Football League Cup; th.us, becoming the first Wales-based club to qualify for a European competition through a place reserved for the English clubs.
3. Toronto FC
The Canadian professional soccer club currently plays in the American Major League Soccer. They were founded in October 2005 and are the first Canadian side to play in the MLS. Toronto FC have enjoyed moderate success since their establishment; their best-ever performance was winning the MLS Cup in 2017. They are one of the top clubs in the MLS.
4. AS Monaco
Despite being a principality on its own, Monaco competes as a club side in the French Ligue 1. The Monegasques were founded on the 23rd of November, 1924. They are one of the biggest clubs in the French football league. They have had multiple French league and Cup titles throughout their proud history.
5. FC Andorra
FC Andorra is one of the most popular football clubs that play in a different country. The football club was established in 1942 and is based in Encamp, Andorra. However, they have competed in the Spanish football league since 1948. FC Andorran is owned by Gerard Piqué’s Kosmos Holding Group and currently compete in the Primera División – Group 2, the third tier of the Spanish football league.
6. FC Busingen
This German-based club competes in the Swiss football league system. They are located in the German enclave, also called Busingen, but completed enclosed by Switzerland. They were founded in 1924 but later got dissolved in 1937 due to political issues affecting them at the time under the German Nazi government. They reformed in 1947 and decided to stay in the Swiss league system. Over the years, they have been involved in different echelons of football in Switzerland. They currently compete in the Swiss 4th Liga Gruppe 10 (VI).
7. Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix is a New Zealand club that currently competes in the Australian A-League. They are based in the city with the same name and were formed on the 19th of March, 2007. Since its formation, Phoenix has competed solely in the A-League. Their best-ever performance was reaching a playoff place in the 2009-2010 season.
8. FC Sheriff Tiraspol
Sheriff competes in the Moldovian football league despite being based in the unrecognized breakaway former Soviet state of Transnistria. They were founded 25 years ago and recently competed in this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage.
9. Derry City FC
The Northern Irish club competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division. The top football league in the Republic of Ireland. The 96-year-old club has won the Premier Division twice in their history.
10. FC Vaduz
All the football clubs in Liechtenstein play in the Swiss league since Liechtenstein doesn’t have a league system of its own. However, FC Vaduz is the most successful and popular club in Liechtenstein. FC Vaduz spent five seasons in the Swiss Super League, the top flight of Swiss football. Vaduz were most recently relegated from the Swiss Super League in the 2020/21 season to the Swiss Challenge League. They have also won the Swiss Challenge League three times. Vaduz have also represented Liechtenstein in European competitions whenever they won the Liechtenstein Football Cup (a football tournament for Liechtenstein clubs).
11. Lemlands IF
The Finnish club currently competes in the Swedish football lower divisions. They are based on the Aland Islands.
