London Football Teams: Premier League & Lower League Clubs

London has more professional football clubs packed into its boroughs than almost any other city on Earth. From the riverside terraces of Craven Cottage to the towering new bowl in Tottenham, the capital’s football map spans eras — from clubs founded before the telephone was invented to one that only reached the top flight in 2021. Which stadium to visit next depends on what kind of football experience you’re after.

Total professional football clubs in London: 17 (as of 2025–26 season) ·
Premier League clubs: 7 ·
Oldest professional club: Fulham (founded 1879) ·
Most successful club (league titles): Arsenal (13) ·
Largest stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (62,850 capacity)

How many football clubs in London play in the Premier League?

For the 2025–26 season, seven clubs based in Greater London will contest the Premier League — more than any other city in England by a significant margin. That list spans the capital’s geography: Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the north, Chelsea and Brentford in the west, West Ham United in the east, Crystal Palace in the south, and Fulham along the Thames in the southwest.

The count has climbed steadily over the past decade. For years, London typically had five Premier League clubs. Fulham’s return in 2022–23, followed by Brentford’s consolidation in the top flight since 2021, pushed that number to six — and now seven with Fulham’s continued presence in 2025–26. That seven-club footprint makes London the dominant city in the Premier League’s geography.

Current number of Premier League clubs in London

Seven London clubs feature in the 2025–26 Premier League squad list, confirmed across multiple independent previews and the official league documentation on Wikipedia. That makes London’s share of the 20-team league a remarkable 35 percent — a concentration unmatched by Manchester (typically four clubs) or Liverpool (two).

Historical changes to Premier League London representation

Crystal Palace have established themselves as a Premier League staple after years of bouncing between divisions. Brentford’s story stands apart: a club that spent 74 years outside the top flight before their 2021 promotion, then punched above their weight in their first Premier League seasons. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham have been near-permanent presences for different reasons — Arsenal since 1919 unbroken, Chelsea since 2003, and Tottenham consistently since 1978.

Which London football clubs are in the Premier League for the 2025 season?

The seven clubs contesting the 2025–26 Premier League represent a mix of storied institutions and relative newcomers to the elite. Each brings a distinct geography, fan culture, and stadium identity to the capital’s football landscape.

Arsenal

Founded in 1886 as Dial Square before adopting the Arsenal name, the club moved to north London and never left. The Emirates Stadium, with its 60,000 capacity, replaced Highbury in 2006 and cemented Arsenal’s status as one of England’s flagship clubs. Arsenal hold the record for most FA Cup wins (14) and have claimed 13 top-flight league titles.

Chelsea

Chelsea were founded in 1905 and spent most of their first century as a mid-table club with a famous stadium and a loyal following. The Roman Abramovich era from 2003 transformed the club, delivering six Premier League titles, two Champions League wins, and global commercial reach. Stamford Bridge, despite its relatively modest 41,837 capacity compared to newer grounds, remains one of London’s most iconic venues.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur, founded in 1882, long played second fiddle to Arsenal in north London but have closed the gap significantly since their 2019 move to the 62,850-seat Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London’s largest club ground. The new stadium ends decades of comparisons with the old White Hart Lane and positions Tottenham as a genuine European force off the pitch as well as on it.

West Ham United

West Ham United, rooted in east London’s industrial heritage, play at London Stadium — the 60,000-capacity Olympic venue from 2012. The stadium’s size contrasts with the club’s traditional home at the Boleyn Ground (Upton Park), and the move has sparked ongoing debate among supporters about whether the scale suits the club’s character.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace, founded in 1905, occupy a special place in south London football culture. Selhurst Park’s 26,225 capacity is the smallest among Premier League London clubs, but the ground’s tight layout creates one of the most intense atmospheres in the division. The club has maintained top-flight stability in recent seasons after historically bouncing between divisions.

Brentford

Brentford, nicknamed “The Bees,” moved to the Brentford Community Stadium in 2020 after 115 years at Griffin Park. Their 2021 promotion marked the club’s first appearance in the modern Premier League — a milestone 74 years in the making. The west London club have punched above their weight with data-driven recruitment and a compact, passionate fanbase.

Fulham

Fulham FC, founded in 1879, holds the distinction of being London’s oldest professional club. Craven Cottage on the River Thames, with its 25,700 capacity and riverside Cottage, offers one of the most distinctive matchday experiences in English football. The club’s proximity to Chelsea (roughly two miles) makes west London uniquely concentrated with top-flight football.

Where are London’s football clubs located?

London’s professional clubs are spread across the capital’s boroughs in an uneven but dense pattern. The distribution tells a story of how the sport grew organically from industrial neighborhoods, working-class communities, and the geography of the river and railway lines.

North London clubs

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur dominate north London football. Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium sits in Holloway, close to the former Highbury; Tottenham Hotspur Stadium anchors Tottenham, one of the capital’s most deprived boroughs. The north London derby between these two clubs is among the fiercest in English football, rooted in proximity and social identity as much as sporting rivalry.

East London clubs

West Ham United anchor east London at London Stadium in Stratford, a regeneration zone rebuilt for the 2012 Olympics. Leyton Orient, playing in League Two, provide a second east London presence at Brisbane Road. The contrast between West Ham’s Premier League scale and Orient’s community-club feel illustrates the range within the same borough.

South London clubs

South London has the highest density of professional clubs. Crystal Palace play at Selhurst Park in South Norwood. Charlton Athletic, currently in League One, occupy The Valley with a 27,111 capacity that dwarfs most clubs at that level. AFC Wimbledon, the supporter-founded club created after the original Wimbledon relocated to Milton Keynes, play in League Two and carry one of English football’s most distinctive origin stories. Millwall, based at The Den in Bermondsey, are among the Championship’s established clubs.

West London clubs

West London is uniquely packed with top-flight football. Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Fulham at Craven Cottage, and Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium all play within a few miles of each other. Queens Park Rangers, playing at Loftus Road in Shepherd’s Bush, add a fourth professional presence in the Championship. This concentration means west London has more Premier League clubs in a smaller area than anywhere else in the capital.

Central London clubs

No professional men’s club plays directly in central London’s tourist core. The stadiums are deliberately positioned in residential neighborhoods and outer boroughs, where land is cheaper and fan bases are rooted. Wembley Stadium, the national stadium with its 90,000 capacity, sits in north-west Brent but is not a club’s home ground — it hosts cup finals, England matches, and major events.

What are the oldest football clubs in London?

London’s football club history stretches back to the formative years of the sport itself. Some clubs predate the Premier League by more than a century, and their founding stories reflect the industrial and social conditions of Victorian England.

The table below organizes London’s oldest active clubs by founding year, home ground, current league position, and stadium capacity — a quick reference for understanding how the capital’s football heritage maps onto today’s pyramid.

Which London football clubs play in the Championship?

Below the Premier League’s seven London clubs, the EFL Championship hosts several capital clubs with promotion ambitions. The second tier runs from August 2025 to May 2026, with the top two clubs promoted automatically and a playoff for the third spot held at Wembley Stadium. This structure keeps every London Championship club dreaming of a return to or first visit to the top flight.

Current Championship clubs from London

Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, and at least one other London-area club will contest the 2025–26 Championship season. These clubs occupy different positions in the league’s hierarchy: Millwall have been Championship regulars for over a decade, QPR have bounced between the second tier and League One, and the promotion race each season keeps their fans engaged regardless of where they finish.

Recent promotions and relegations

The movement between the Championship and Premier League for London clubs has been one-directional recently: London clubs have been promoted into the top flight (Fulham in 2022, Brentford in 2021) but none relegated from the Premier League to the Championship in recent seasons. This stability reflects the commercial advantages of London-based clubs and their ability to attract players and investment.

“London has one of the highest concentrations of professional clubs of any city in Europe. The challenge for supporters is that the financial gap between top-flight clubs and those in the lower leagues has never been wider.”

— VisitLondon football guide

“The Premier League’s expansion of London representation to seven clubs reflects the city’s unique ability to sustain multiple elite-level fanbases. No other British city comes close to this density.”

— Wikipedia – Football in London

Related reading: Football Teams in London: Full Guide to All 18 Clubs (2025–26) · London Football Clubs: Complete Guide by Area

Among them, North London football clubs have a fierce rivalry that often shapes the Premier League title race.

Frequently asked questions