List of association football clubs playing in the league of another country

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This is a list of association football clubs playing in the league of another country i.e. a country other than the one where they are based. Conditions for competing in a "foreign" league, as well as in a continental/confederational competition, are set case-by-case by FIFA, the international association football federation as well as the respective continental confederation and national football associations involved.

Clubs which are located in defunct nations that merged with others, new nations separated from others, or which stopped competing in a nation's league system because their locale was transferred to another nation, are not included in this article.

Great Britain and Ireland[]

As a result of the history of football in the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom has four FIFA member countries instead of one. Therefore, clubs that play outside what would be regarded as their 'home country' are included.

England / Scotland[]

Shielfield Park, home of Berwick Rangers, an English club playing in Scotland's national leagues

England → Scotland : English in Scotland

Scotland → England : Scottish in England

England / Wales[]

The New Saints of the Welsh Premier League play at Park Hall in the English town of Oswestry

England → Wales : English in Wales

  • The New Saints, compete in the Cymru Premier, and represent both the Welsh village of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain and the English town of Oswestry (the two places are 8 miles/13 km apart), since its merger in 2003 with financially troubled Oswestry Town, an English club which played in the Welsh football structure. Since the 2007–08 season, they have played in Oswestry, while previously playing in Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. As regular contenders to the Welsh Premier League title and Welsh Cup, The New Saints have represented Wales in European competitions.
  • Newcastle A.F.C. from Newcastle, Shropshire play in the Welsh football league system (Mid Wales South League).
  • Bucknell F.C. from Bucknell, Shropshire played in the Welsh football league system (Mid Wales South League) until the 2014–15 season.[1]
  • Trefonen F.C. play in the Welsh football league system (Montgomeryshire League).
  • Morda United did play in the Mid Wales Football League, but moved to the West Midlands (Regional) League (in the English football league system) in 1994. The club returned, but to the Montgomeryshire League since the 2014–15 season until the 2016–17 season.
  • Bishop's Castle Town did play in the Montgomeryshire League, but moved to the Shropshire County League (in the English football league system) in 2010. The club returned to the Montgomeryshire League in the 2016–17 season.
  • In addition, Station Road, home to Llanymynech F. C., is located on the English side of Llanymynech.

Until 1995–96, English teams close to the border were allowed to compete in the Welsh Cup. They could not qualify for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup this way.

Wales → England : Welsh in England

Although all the above clubs play in the English football league system and are allowed to compete in the FA Cup, Wrexham and Merthyr Town are under the jurisdiction of the Football Association of Wales for disciplinary and administration purposes. Swansea City, Cardiff City and Newport County previously had the same governance until an arrangement was made with the English FA for the 2011–12 season onwards which sees Welsh clubs playing in the top four divisions of English football under the governance of the English FA.[2]

Cardiff City (1921–29, 1952–57, 1960–62, 2013–14 and 2018–19) and Swansea City (1981–83 and 2011–18) have played in the top division of English football (currently the Premier League). Cardiff City are also the only non-English side to have won the FA Cup, winning it in 1927 (also winning the Welsh Cup that year, being the only team to win the national cups of different countries in the same season); they again reached the final in 2008, prompting the English FA to change the rules to allow Welsh clubs to represent England in UEFA competitions should they qualify to do so.[3] Swansea City won the 2012–13 Football League Cup, and are the first Wales-based club to qualify for a European competition through a place reserved for the English Football Association.

The following Welsh clubs have also played in the English football league system:

The following defunct Welsh clubs also played in the English league system:

Until 1995, the above clubs were allowed to participate in the Welsh Cup, and represented Wales in the Cup Winners' Cup if they won. Clubs playing in those parts of England close to the Welsh border could also play in the Welsh Cup by invitation but could not represent Wales if they won, this berth instead went to the best-finishing Welsh team.

Northern Ireland / Republic of Ireland[]

Brandywell Stadium, home of Derry City, a team located in Northern Ireland and playing in the Republic of Ireland

Northern Ireland → Republic of Ireland : Northern Irish in the Republic of Ireland

  • Derry City have played in, and won the league championships and main cup competitions in, both the Northern Ireland football league system and the Republic of Ireland football league system, within which it currently (as of 2021) competes. Founded in 1928, it played in the Irish Football League until 1972, when it left due to issues related to The Troubles. The club then spent 13 years without a league until being admitted to the second level of the League of Ireland in 1985. It has represented both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in European club competitions.

Guernsey / England[]

Guernsey → England : Guernsey in England

  • Guernsey F.C. play in the Isthmian League Division One South Central. (Step 4)

The Guernsey Football Association has no international recognition; it has county status within the English Football Association.

Jersey / England[]

Jersey → England : Jersey in England

  • Jersey Bulls F.C. play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South. (Step 5)

The Jersey Football Association has no international recognition; it has county status within the English Football Association.

Isle of Man / England[]

Isle of Man → England : Isle of Man in England

  • F.C. Isle of Man play in the North West Counties Football League Division One North (Step 6).

The Isle of Man Football Association has no international recognition; it has county status within the English Football Association.

Continental Europe[]

Andorra / Spain[]

Andorra → Spain : Andorran in Spain

Austria / Germany[]

Austria → Germany : Austrian in Germany

  • SV Kleinwalsertal played in Germany from the 1960s until 2018, playing in the tier eleven B-Klasse Allgäu 8 in 2017–18.[5]

Bosnia and Herzegovina / Yugoslavia[]

Bosnia and Herzegovina → Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Bosnian in Yugoslavia

  • FK Borac Banja Luka played in the Yugoslav football league system. Technically, the club stayed Yugoslav and continued to participate in Yugoslav competition until 1995, despite Bosnia and Herzegovina having been recognised as independent in 1992.

Cyprus / Greece[]

Cyprus → Greece : Cypriot in Greece

From 1967 to 1974, the champion of the Cypriot First Division was promoted to the Greek First Division.

Czechoslovakia / Hungary[]

Czechoslovakia → Hungary : Czechoslovak in Hungary

  • SC Rusj Užhorod (1925 – 1945), due to partitioning of Czechoslovakia in 1938–39, Rusj Užhorod was forced to play in Hungarian competitions in 1939 – 1945

Finland / Sweden[]

Finland → Sweden : Finnish in Sweden

  • IF Fram 1999–2011 and possibly earlier
  • 2004–2007
  • 2005–2009
  • 2000–2005 and possibly earlier
  • IF Finströms Kamraterna 2002–2003
  • 2004
  • Lemlands IF 2011– still plays in Swedish league system (Division 6, Uppland östra (Tier 8))
  • 2014– still plays in Swedish league system (Division 6, Uppland östra (Tier 8))

All clubs are based in Åland, an autonomous region of Finland with an indigenous ethnically Swedish population.

Georgia / Soviet Union[]

Georgia (country) → Soviet Union : Georgian in the Soviet Union

  • FC Dinamo Sukhumi played in the Soviet football league system. Technically, the club stayed Soviet and continued to participate in Soviet competition. Concurrently, in Georgia was conducted separate championship and some former footballers from Dynamo Sukhumi created FC Tskhumi in Tbilisi.

Germany / Switzerland[]

Germany → Switzerland : German in Switzerland

Italy / Switzerland[]

Italy → Switzerland : Italian in Switzerland

  • play in the Swiss Football League system (4. Liga – Group 1), as Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave surrounded by Switzerland.

Switzerland → Italy : Swiss in Italy :

  • FC Chiasso played in the Italian league system between 1914 and 1923.

Kosovo / Serbia[]

Kosovo → Serbia : Kosovar in Serbia
Kosovo is still only a partially recognised state and the government of Serbia still claims the territory as its own. Due to Serbian refusal of Kosovo institutions, Serbs in North Kosovo act independently in sport. For example, the Football First League of North Kosovo was primarily formed of Serbian clubs from four of North Kosovo's municipalities. Both governments agreed upon creating a Community of Serb Municipalities.

In 2016, Kosovo became the 55th member of UEFA, and therefore Football Federation of Kosovo's Football Superleague of Kosovo became a recognised independent league.

From 2010 to 2015, the Football First League of North Kosovo was the top football regional league in North Kosovo, ranked fifth in the Serbian league system. The league was formed primarily of Serbian football clubs that come from four of North Kosovo's municipalities such as Leposavić, Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Northern Kosovska Mitrovica. The league was formed in protest to the establishment of the Kosovo Super League by the Republic of Kosovo; the Serbian clubs from North Kosovo refuse to enter the Republic of Kosovo's institutions as per the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.

  • FK Rudar Kosovska Mitrovica
  • (until 2013)
  • (until 2014)

There are two other clubs from North Kosovo, which compete in different leagues:

Latvia / Soviet Union[]

Latvia → Soviet Union : Latvian in the Soviet Union

  • FK Pārdaugava, same as the Georgian FC Dynamo Sukhumi, it was one of the few clubs that continued to compete in the Soviet football competitions despite official withdrawal of its domestic football organizations. The club was created in place of the Soviet Daugava club which was a regional branch of the Soviet bigger Dynamo sports society associated with the Soviet KGB and law enforcement.

Liechtenstein / Switzerland[]

Rheinpark Stadion, home of FC Vaduz, the only Liechtensteiner team to have ever played top-flight football in Switzerland

Liechtenstein → Switzerland : Liechtensteiner in Switzerland

All clubs in Liechtenstein play in the Swiss Football League system, as Liechtenstein has no properly recognized league of its own. These clubs also compete in the Liechtenstein Football Cup, which is effectively the championship of Liechtenstein, with the winner representing Liechtenstein in the UEFA Europa League through the 2020–21 season and the UEFA Europa Conference League thereafter. Liechtenstein clubs do not play in the Swiss Cup, and are not eligible for qualification to European competitions via the Swiss league system. FC Vaduz has had three stints in the top flight in Switzerland: the first in the 2008–09 season, the second running from 2014 to 2017, and the most recent was in 2020–21. They are the only Liechtenstein club to have ever played in the Swiss Super League.

Monaco / France[]

Monaco → France : Monegasque in France

  • AS Monaco FC play in the French football league system (Ligue 1 since 2013–2014) as Monaco does not have a professional league and the Monégasque Football Federation, which has no international recognition, was not formed until 2000. They are one of the most successful clubs in France having won eight Ligue 1, five Coupe de France and one Coupe de la Ligue titles, and have also represented France in European competitions, reaching the final of the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1992 and of the UEFA Champions League in 2004.

San Marino / Italy[]

San Marino → Italy : Sammarinese in Italy

  • San Marino Calcio played in the Italian football league system from its foundation in 1959 until the end of the 2018–19 Serie D season, when they moved to Cattolica in Italy, merging into the local team (though the club is still legally based in San Marino). The club was refunded in 2021 as Victor San Marino, taking part in the fifth level Eccellenza.
  • A.C. Juvenes/Dogana played in both the Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio and the Italian amateur levels until the 2006–07 season. Now they play only in the Sammarinese league. Juvenes/Dogana was founded in 2000 after the merger of S.S. Juvenes and G.S. Dogana: the two clubs also played in both Italy and San Marino at the time of the merger.

The home league of San Marino was established only in 1985. Before that year, other Sammarinese teams have competed in the Italian system, though only San Marino Calcio was allowed to take part in the system and also to Coppa Italia exclusively:

Spain / France[]

Spain → France : Spanish in France

  • play in the French football league system (Occitanie League, Haute-Garonne District, D2).

Ukraine / Russia[]

Ukraine (Autonomous Republic of Crimea) → Russia : Ukrainian in Russia

The three clubs are from Crimea, a territory recognized by Ukraine and a majority of countries as part of Ukraine, but have been under effective Russian control as the Republic of Crimea since the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. FC Sevastopol and SC Tavriya Simferopol last played in the 2013–14 Ukrainian Premier League, and were dissolved after the completion of the season. The three clubs were reformed as football organizations of the Russian Federation and joined the Russian Professional Football League starting from the 2014–15 season, after approval from the Russian Football Union.[6] The inclusion of Crimean clubs in Russian competitions have not been approved by either FIFA or UEFA, and the Football Federation of Ukraine have lodged a complaint.[7] On 22 August 2014 UEFA decided "that any football matches played by Crimean clubs organised under the auspices of the Russian Football Union will not be recognised by UEFA until further notice",[8] and on 4 December 2014, decided to prohibit Crimean clubs to play in competitions organised by the Russian Football Union as from 1 January 2015 and for the region to be considered as a "special zone" for football purposes until further notice.[9]

Africa[]

Western Sahara / Morocco[]

Western Sahara → Morocco : Western Saharan in Morocco

  • JS Massira, from the city of El Aaiún in the territory that the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims but does not hold, plays in Botola 2, the second division of the Moroccan Football League.

Americas[]

Many North American sports leagues are made up of teams from different countries—three of the four largest professional leagues have teams representing cities on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. This phenomenon can also be seen in soccer leagues. Although foreign clubs can and do participate in leagues based in the United States, no such team is eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup, which is only open to teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer). They are also not eligible to represent the United States in the CONCACAF Champions League or the CONCACAF League (the latter of which does not feature any U.S.-based teams). Those teams that do participate in U.S. leagues also participate in various competitions under their local federations to gain entry into the Champions League and CONCACAF League.

Antigua and Barbuda / United States[]

Antigua and Barbuda → United States : Antiguan and Barbudan in the United States

  • Antigua Barracuda FC played in USL Pro (the league now known as the USL Championship) from 2011 to 2013. The team was forced to play its entire 2013 schedule on the road due to issues with its home stadium, normally a cricket ground, and folded after that season.

Bermuda / United States[]

Bermuda → United States : Bermudian in the United States

  • Bermuda Hogges, before folding at the end of the 2012 season, played in the Premier Development League (PDL; now known as USL League Two). The team began as a member of the USL Second Division (the effective predecessor to today's USL Championship), but self-relegated to the PDL after the 2009 season. Many of the players appeared for the Bermuda national team. The club folded after the 2013 PDL season.
  • FC Bascome Bermuda joined the USL League Two in time for the 2020 season; however, its debut was postponed to 2022 due to the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada / United States[]

Canada → United States : Canadian in the United States

Main article: List of Canadian soccer clubs in American leagues

Former[]

Several Canadian clubs played in previous incarnations of the NASL, including:

Canada's other MLS teams began fielding USL reserve sides in 2015, but both USL sides have since been folded. FC Montreal was folded by the Impact upon the announcement by Ottawa Fury FC that they would join the USL, with the Fury becoming the Impact's top affiliate. The Whitecaps folded Whitecaps FC 2 after the 2017 season in favor of an affiliation with a new USL side, Fresno FC.

The Toronto Lynx (which had played in the USL A-League/First Division until 2006) also participated until 2014 in the Premier Development League (PDL), known since 2019 as USL League Two. In addition, two Canadian MLS teams, the Impact and Whitecaps, previously fielded under-23 sides in the PDL. Former Canadian PDL teams include the Abbotsford Mariners, Hamilton Rage, K–W United FC, FC London, original Ottawa Fury, and Vancouver Whitecaps Residency (replaced by Whitecaps U-23).

FC Edmonton played in the modern North American Soccer League until 2017, at which time it halted professional operations. The club resumed professional play in 2019 on its own side of the US–Canada border in the new Canadian Premier League.

The Ottawa Fury began play in the NASL in 2014, replacing a PDL team of the same name. The team moved to the league now known as the USL Championship after the 2016 season before suspending operations following the 2019 season.

As in the men's game, the women's soccer pyramid contains leagues that operate on both sides of the border. The current top level, the National Women's Soccer League, operates solely in the U.S., although it receives financial backing from both U.S. Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association, and also had backing from the Mexican Football Federation until that body organized its own women's league in 2017.

Puerto Rico / United States[]

Puerto Rico → United States : Puerto Rican in the United States

Even though Puerto Rico is a dependent territory of the United States, it has a separate football federation, the Puerto Rican Football Federation. The highest level of competition within Puerto Rico is the Puerto Rico Soccer League, and teams can qualify domestically as Puerto Rican entrants in the Caribbean Club Championship and the CONCACAF Champions League.

Asia and Oceania[]

Australia / Singapore[]

Australia → Singapore : Australian in Singapore

Brunei / Malaysia[]

Brunei → Malaysia : Bruneian in Malaysia

Brunei / Singapore[]

Brunei → Singapore : Bruneian in Singapore

  • DPMM FC play in the Singapore Premier League, starting in 2009, after getting expelled from the Malaysia Super League for the 2009 season (see above). They were also invited to take part in the Singapore Cup in 2007. Only during the FIFA ban on the Brunei FA in 2009, that DPMM FC have suspended their participation and resumed it only in 2012.

China / Hong Kong[]

China → Hong Kong : Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong

While Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, it has its own football federation (Hong Kong Football Association) and professional league (Hong Kong Premier League).

Macau / China[]

Macau → China : Macanese in Mainland China

While Macau is a special administrative region of China, it has its own football federation (Macau Football Association) and league (Liga de Elite).

Malaysia / Australia[]

Malaysia → Australia: Malaysian in Australia

Malaysia / Singapore[]

Malaysia → Singapore : Malaysian in Singapore

  • As part of a two-way arrangement with the Football Association of Singapore, the Football Association of Malaysia entered an under-22 representative side, known as Harimau Muda A, in the S-League from 2012 to 2015 (in 2014 with a B-Team (see above)).

Singapore → Malaysia : Singaporean in Malaysia

New Zealand / Australia[]

Westpac Stadium, home of the Wellington Phoenix, the sole New Zealand team in Australia's A-League

New Zealand → Australia : New Zealand in Australia

As New Zealand is a member of OFC and Australia is a member of AFC since moving from OFC in 2006, Wellington Phoenix are playing in the league of a member of another football confederation. As per agreement with FIFA, AFC and OFC, Wellington Phoenix are not allowed to participate in the AFC Champions League.[11] They also do not participate in the OFC Champions League, as New Zealand is represented by clubs from its football league, the New Zealand Football Championship. Wellington Phoenix are the only extant professional football team in New Zealand; the New Zealand Football Championship is amateur. The reserve team of Wellington Phoenix began play in the NZ Championship in 2014–15,[12] and have featured in every season since.

Satellite teams in Singapore[]

Besides DPMM FC, a number of "foreign" teams have also played in the S.League. These clubs, while playing their home games in Singapore, are satellite teams of foreign clubs:

As of 2016, only Albirex Niigata Singapore FC play in the S.League. The foreign teams are not allowed to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions such as the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup.

In recent years, foreign clubs from other countries have also been invited to participate in the Singapore Cup.

References[]

  1. ^ "League entry denied". Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  2. ^ Scott, Matt (6 May 2011). "Football Association breaks Welsh jurisdiction over Cardiff and Swansea". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  3. ^ "FA approves Cardiff for Uefa Cup". Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Twydell, Dave (5 November 2001). Denied F.C.: The Football League Election Struggles. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 24. ISBN 1-85983-512-0.
  5. ^ BK Allgäu 8 BFV website, accessed: 5 August 2019
  6. ^ "Crimean clubs to play in Russian second division from next season". Inside World Football. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Russia's claim on Crimea's football clubs". BBC Sport. 15 August 2014. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  8. ^ "UEFA Emergency Panel decision on Crimean clubs". UEFA.org. 22 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  9. ^ "UEFA Nations League format and schedule confirmed". UEFA.org. 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  10. ^ "港超︱富力R&F落實棄戰港超 稱退出因現時香港足球氛圍". Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 14 October 2020. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  11. ^ Ad hoc Committee for Professional Clubs
  12. ^ "Phoenix reserve team to play in national league". Stuff.co.nz. 22 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
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