Football in London

Football is the most popular sport, both in terms of participants and spectators, in London. London has several of England's leading football clubs, and the city is home to fourteen professional clubs, several dozen semi-professional clubs and several hundred amateur clubs regulated by the London Football Association, Middlesex County Football Association and the Amateur Football Alliance. Most London clubs are named after the district in which they play or used to play, and share rivalries with each other.

Fulham is London's oldest club still playing professionally, having been founded in 1879. Royal Arsenal were London's first team to turn professional in 1891. Arsenal is London's most successful team with 43 honours. Arsenal were the first and only London club to go an entire League season unbeaten, in the 2003–04 Premier League season – a 38-game season. The only other club to achieve this feat are Preston North End who remained unbeaten across the 22 games of the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888–89. Arsenal have won The FA Cup for a joint record 12 times. Arsenal were the first London club to win the Football League First Division in the 1930–31 season and the Premier League in the 1997–98 season.

Chelsea is the first and the only London club to win the UEFA Champions League after winning the 2012 tournament. On 15 May 2013, Chelsea won the UEFA Europa League to become one of four clubs, and the only British club to win all three main UEFA club competitions. Chelsea is also the first and the only London club to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup. They became the runner-up of 2012 tournament after losing to Corinthians.

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