List of oldest football competitions


This is a list of the oldest documented football competitions, played at school, club, national and international levels. The first list contains competitions that have been played continuously. The second is a list of competitions that are now defunct.

Current competitions

Association football

YearCompetitionTypeFirst Trophy, YearsOriginal codeLocationNotes & references
1871FA Cupclub trophyFA Cup
Original FA Cup trophy 1871–1895
Second FA Cup trophy 1895–1910
Current FA cup Trophy 1911–		Association footballEnglandOldest association football competition in the world.
1874Scottish Cupclub trophyScottish Cup 1874–Association footballScotlandOldest association football trophy in the world.
1876Birmingham Senior Cupcounty cup1876–Association FootballWest Midlands, EnglandOldest regional trophy in the world.
1876Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cupcounty cup1876–Association FootballSouth Yorkshire, EnglandAlso includes some clubs from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire.
1877Welsh Cupclub trophyWelsh Cup, 1877–Association footballWales
1877Shropshire Senior Cupcounty cupShropshire Premier County Cup, 1877-Association footballShropshire, England
1878Berks & Bucks Senior Cupcounty cup1879–Association FootballBerkshire and Buckinghamshire, England
1880Lancashire Senior Cupcounty cup1880–Association FootballLancashire, EnglandAlso includes teams from Greater Manchester and Merseyside
1880Cheshire Senior Cupcounty cup1880–Association footballCheshire, EnglandAlso includes teams from Greater Manchester and Merseyside, many from the historical boundaries of Cheshire.
1881Irish Cupclub trophy1881–Association footballIreland
Northern Ireland 		Originally created as the national club trophy for all of Ireland, it now serves as the national club trophy for Northern Ireland after the Republic of Ireland was created in 1921.
1882Oxford University Cuppersintercollegiate trophyAssociation footballOxford, EnglandUniversity claims is its the 2nd oldest football competition, but also documents 1882/3 as the first season.
1883Stirlingshire CupRegional Cup1883/84-Association FootballStirlingshire, Scotland
1882Cambridge University Cuppersintercollegiate trophyAssociation footballCambridge, England
1884Lincolnshire FA County Senior Trophycounty cup1884–Association FootballLincolnshire, England
1886Scottish Junior Cupclub trophy
Scottish Junior Cup 1886–Association footballScotland
1887Aberdeenshire Cupregional cup1888Association footballAberdeenshire, ScotlandClaims to be second oldest association football tournament in the world.
1888Medaille Fodbold Konkurrenceregional cupApril 29th, 1888Pre-associationDenmarkOldest football league outside of Great Britain and Ireland.
1888English Football Leagueclub leagueAssociation footballEnglandOldest association football league. The Premier League was later created and is now the top-flight English league.
1888Durand Cupclub trophyDurand Cup, 1888–Association footballIndiaOldest football tournament in Asia.
1889Northern Football Leagueclub leagueAssociation footballNorth East EnglandSecond-oldest association football league in the world.
1889Trades Cupregional cupAssociation footballKolkata, India
1890Border Cupregional cupAssociation footballScottish Borders
Scotland		Originally played for by senior clubs, has been contested by Border Amateur Football Association clubs since 1960.
1891Argentine Primera Divisiónclub leagueCopa Campeonato Association footballArgentinaOldest top division association football league in the world and oldest league outside Great Britain.
1892Brown Shieldinterprovincial tournamentBrown Shield, 1892Association footballNew ZealandOriginally the country's premier football trophy, now only contested sporadically.
1893IFA Shieldclub trophyIFA ShieldAssociation footballKolkata, India
1894Bedfordshire Senior Cupcounty cup1894–Association FootballBedfordshire, England
1895Belgian First Division Aclub leagueNational Championships 1895–Association footballBelgiumOldest association football league in continental Europe.
1896Hong Kong Shieldclub trophyAssociation footballHong Kong-
1897Montagu Cupregional cup 1897–Association footballMexborough, EnglandOldest football cup regularly played at its original venue.
1898Serie Aclub leagueNational Championships 1898–Association footballItaly-
1898Calcutta Football Leagueclub leagueAssociation footballKolkata, IndiaOldest association football league in Asia.
1898Swiss Super Leagueclub league1898–1929 Serie A
1931–1944 Nationalliga/Ligue Nationale/Lega Nazionale
1944–2003 Nationalliga A/Ligue Nationale A/Lega Nazionale A
2003– Super League		Association footballSwitzerlandLongest continuously running top-flight national league
1899KNVB Cupclub trophy1899–Association footballNetherlands
1900Uruguayan Primera Divisiónclub league1900–Association footballUruguay
1901Ontario Cupclub trophy1901–Association footballCanadaOldest association football competition in North America.
1901Nemzeti Bajnokságclub leagueAssociation footballHungary
1902Copa del Reyclub trophy1902 Copa de la Coronación, 1903–Association footballSpain
1902Hampshire Colleges Sixes6-a-side tournament1902-Association footballEnglandProbably the oldest small-sided football tournament/competition in the world with King Edwards School first winning in 1902.
1902Norwegian Football Cupclub trophyAssociation footballNorwayFirst played as an invitational tournament consisting of 5 teams and arranged by Kristiania Idrætsforening. First time as a national tournament 1963
1902 Campeonato Paulistaclub leagueAssociation footballSão Paulo state, Brazil
1902Mumbai Football Leagueclub leagueAssociation footballMumbai, India
1903Primera División de la Asociación de Football de Santiagoclub leagueAssociation footballSantiago, Chile
1905 Campeonato Baianoclub leagueAssociation footballBahia, Brazil
1906 Campeonato Cariocaclub leagueAssociation footballRio de Janeiro, Brazil
1906 Paraguayan Primera Divisiónclub leagueAssociation footballParaguay
1907Federation Cupclub trophyAssociation footballSouth Australia, AustraliaSecond oldest knockout competition in Australia.
1908Milne Cupannual challenge match1908–Association footballShetland and Orkney Oldest football competition between two islands.
1908Hong Kong First Division Leagueclub leagueAssociation footballHong Kong
1908Nadkarni Cupregional cupNadkarni CupAssociation footballMumbai, India
1908 Football at the Summer OlympicsInternational tournament1908–Association footballvariousOldest nations association football competition in the world.
1909 Liga Iclub leagueAssociation footballRomania
1911Belgian Cupclub trophy1911–Association footballBelgium
1912Peruvian Primera Divisiónclub leagueAssociation footballPeruLeague was exclusively played by teams from Lima. However, older, less-important tournaments were previously held in Callao.
1912Úrvalsdeildclub leagueAssociation footballIceland
1913Challenge Trophyclub trophy Connaught Cup 1913–1925; Challenge Trophy 1926–1954; Challenge Trophy & Carling Cup 1954–1961; Challenge Trophy 1962-Association footballCanadaStrictly amateur since 1962.
1914Collingwood Cupuniversity trophy1914–Association footballNorthern Ireland, Republic of Ireland
1914Manning Cupschools fixtureManning Cup, 1914–Association footballJamaicaannual contest among Secondary High Schools in the Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine parishes of Jamaica.
1914Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cupclub trophyNational Challenge Cup ; Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Association footballUnited StatesOldest association football competition in the United States of America.
1916Copa AméricaInternational tournamentSouth American Football Championship
Copa América 		Association footballSouth AmericaOldest non-European association football competition in the world.
1917All Japan High School Soccer Tournamenthigh school tournamentAssociation footballJapan
1921Kentish Cupinternational Association footballEuropeInter-Services. Oldest international military association football tournament.
1921FAI Cupclub trophy1921–Association footballRepublic of Ireland
1921Egypt Cupclub trophy1921–Association footballEgyptOldest association football competition in Africa.
1921Malaysia Cupclub trophy1921– southern champ, Singapore FA and the northern champ, Selangor FAAssociation footballMalaysiaOldest football competition in the ASEAN
1921Emperor's Cupclub trophyAssociation footballJapan
1923Totty Cupprimary school tournamentpost-1947 for primary schoolsAssociation footballEngland
1925Swiss Cupclub trophyAssociation footballSwitzerland
1925Polish Cupclub trophy1925; 1951–Association footballPoland