Several association football clubs succeed in playing at the highest level of their domestic league without being relegated for several years, if at all. This page lists the clubs that managed to stay in top flight for an extended period of time, and those that have never been relegated from their current top-tier league.
Historical considerations
More often than not, football clubs have played in more than one top-tier competition. It is therefore possible that teams relegated at one point in their history, but have not done so in the competition in which they currently compete. This is the case for multiple teams in countries where football was played in regional leagues prior to the creation of a unified national league. In such countries, a national champion was previously declared by means of a play-off tournament between teams that qualified through their regional tournaments. In Germany, for instance, seven teams have never been relegated from the Bundesliga (some joining more recently), but three of them found themselves expelled from the older Oberligen. Hamburg played continuously in the top tier of the German football system from the end of World War I until 2018.[1][2] In the Netherlands, football used to be organised in regional competitions as well. The unified Eredivisie was born in 1956, and four teams have continuously played at this highest national level since then.[3]
Even before the establishment of regional competitions, football was played in league systems. The very first football championships in Europe were often organised on a local level. Taking these smaller competitions into account, Austria Wien and Rapid Wien can claim to have played at the highest possible level since competition began in Austria in 1911.[1] At that time however, the only organised football was played in the league of Lower Austria,[4] which was then located in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and only teams from Vienna took part.[5] Later, Austrian teams competed in the German football system for several years, which made it possible for Rapid Wien to become German champion in 1941.[6] The current Austrian Bundesliga was only established in 1974,[7] and to this point a total of five teams have never been relegated from that competition.[8]
In Greece and Turkey, competitive football was organised in even smaller leagues. In both countries, city-leagues were the highest level for quite some time.[9][10] In 1959, a unified Hellenic championship was founded, and Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK have played in every season of it.[1] However, these teams were already high-flyers in the preceding city-leagues. The same applies to Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray in Turkey.[1]
In Russia, football too was first played at city-level. The St. Petersburg Football League was established in 1901, and its Moscovite counterpart followed in 1909. Many years later, in 1936, the Soviet Top League was formed. This competition ceased to exist when the Soviet Union fell, and new leagues were formed in the fifteen successor states. As a result, many teams entered a top division for the first time in their history. In Estonia, for example, the new Meistriliiga was composed of clubs that never participated in the top flight before.[11][12] As these are relatively new competitions, many clubs can claim to have never been relegated from the top-level. But only Dynamo Kyiv and Dinamo Tbilisi have always played at the highest possible level.[1] On the other hand, Dynamo Moscow played in every season of the Soviet Top League but was relegated from the Russian Premier League in the 2015–16 season.
Besides the Soviet, also the Czechoslovak and Yugoslav football leagues split into multiple competitions in the early 1990s. A total of eight teams have not been relegated from the national championships of the Czech Republic[13] and Slovakia,[14] but no team managed to achieve this in Czechoslovak times. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, football became divided alongside ethnic lines and competition was held in three different leagues, before the establishment of a national division in 2000. In Kosovo, a national league also exists, although not it was not recognised by UEFA or FIFA until 2016. In all, three clubs – Red Star Belgrade, Partizan Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb – have played at the highest level since the creation of socialist Yugoslavia, whilst Hajduk Split have never been relegated since they first played in the championship of the now long gone Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.[1]
In many instances, new top-tier leagues were created to replace existing national championships. In England, six teams have been present in every season of the Premier League, which was founded in 1992.[15] None of them had an uninterrupted run in the preceding First Division.[16] Thus, a great number of teams can claim to have never been relegated from newer competitions. In Northern Ireland, the teams of Cliftonville, Glentoran and Linfield have played at the top-tier for 133 years,[1] but five more have been present in every season of the NIFL Premiership, which was only established in 2008.[17]
In Scotland, Celtic and Aberdeen[18] have never been relegated. Until 2012 Rangers had participated in every top-tier season since 1890,[1] but were removed and admitted to the fourth tier of Scottish football amid a financial crisis (climbing back to the top by 2016), so do not have an unbroken run but have never been relegated due to on-field performance, remaining the only Scottish club to never finish below 6th when competing in the top-tier. This contrasts with Celtic and Aberdeen, remaining at the top continuously despite the former finishing below 6th seven times and the latter finishing bottom twice.
Many leagues have been running for a long time. Unsurprisingly, fewer clubs manage to stay on top the longer a competition runs. The Spanish Primera División was born in 1929, and only Athletic Bilbao, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have been present ever since. The same year the Italian Serie A became a round-robin tournament, and only Inter Milan has continuously played at the highest level from that moment forward – even doing so since 1909. And finally, no team that plays in the Swiss Super League – established in 1897 – has not been relegated at one point in their history.[1]
Unrelegated for 75 years
This table lists all clubs that have continuously played at the highest level for 75 years or more until their first relegation. Taken into account are all the leagues that formed the highest level at the time each club played in them. Competitions that were organised on sub-regional levels are excluded though. This is the reason no clubs from Greece or Turkey are listed, as in those countries football was played in city-level competitions up until 1959.
The large number of Brazilian football clubs on this list can be explained by the fact that these clubs were dominant in the relatively small state leagues, which formed the highest tier of competition in Brazil for more than half a century. The Taça Brasil, which existed between 1959 and 1968, is not considered a top-tier tournament for the purpose of this list, as it was a knockout competition between the different state champions, and no team took part in every edition.
As of 2024[update], the majority of the teams listed below continue to play at the top, although a few have ended their uninterrupted spell. Some teams had been relegated (and promoted back) before the start of their record spell.
The squads on bold letter have on-going spells playing at their respective top flight divisions.
Never relegated
Unrelegated from a top league
This is a list of football clubs which have never been relegated from their current national top-level league and have played at least ten seasons at this level. The year on the third column indicates when they began their uninterrupted run.
| League | Club | Since | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
 Algeria | JS Kabylie | 1969 | |
 Andorra | FC Santa Coloma | 1994 | |
 Argentina[1][23] | Boca Juniors | 1913 | |
| Defensa y Justicia | 2014 | ||
 Austria[8] | Austria Wien | 1974 | |
| Rapid Wien | |||
| Sturm Graz | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Bundesliga | ||
| Wolfsberger AC | 2012 | Relegated at lower divisions but never from a top-tier | |
 Azerbaijan[1] | Neftçi | 1992 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Premyer Liqası |
| Qarabağ | |||
 Belarus[24] | Dynamo Brest | 1992 | |
| Dinamo Minsk | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Vysheyshaya Liga | ||
| Neman Grodno | |||
| Shakhtyor | |||
| BATE | 1998 | ||
 Bolivia | The Strongest | 1950 | |
| Oriente Petrolero | 1977 | ||
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | 2000 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Premijer Liga |
| Široki Brijeg | |||
| Željezničar | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Premijer Liga | ||
| Zrinjski Mostar | Played in the wartime league of the Independent State of Croatia. Between 1945 and 1992, they were banned by the Yugoslav government | ||
 Brazil[1][16] | Flamengo | 1964 | Absent but never got relegated |
| São Paulo | 1967 | ||
 Bulgaria[1] | Levski Sofia | 1937 | |
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 2011 | ||
 Chile[1] | Colo-Colo | 1933 | |
 China | Beijing Guoan | 1991 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Chinese Super League |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 1982 | ||
 Colombia | Atlético Nacional | 1948 | |
| Millonarios | |||
| Santa Fe | |||
| Deportivo Cali | Absent but never got relegated | ||
| Independiente Medellín | |||
| Junior | |||
| Once Caldas | |||
| La Equidad | 2007 | ||
| Águilas Doradas | 2011 | ||
 Costa Rica | Alajuelense | 1921 | |
| Herediano | |||
| Saprissa | 1949 | ||
| Pérez Zeledón | 1991 | ||
 Croatia[1] | Dinamo Zagreb | 1991 | |
| Hajduk Split | |||
| Osijek | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Prva HNL | ||
| Rijeka | |||
| Slaven Belupo | 1997 | ||
| Lokomotiva | 2009 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Prva HNL | |
 Cyprus[1] | APOEL | 1934 | Before 1974, played in the Greek top-level league when they became Cypriot champion |
| Anorthosis | 1948 | Before 1948, withdrew from the top-level league twice but they were never relegated | |
| Omonia | 1953 | Before 1974, played in the Greek top-level league when they became Cypriot champion | |
| Apollon | 1957 | ||
 Czech Republic[13] | Sparta Prague | 1993 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the First League |
| Slavia Prague | |||
| Slovan Liberec | |||
| Jablonec | 1994 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the First League | |
| Teplice | 1996 | ||
| Mladá Boleslav | 2004 | ||
 Denmark[25] | Brøndby | 1991 | |
| Copenhagen | 1992 | Successors of clubs that have relegated from a top-tier league | |
| Midtjylland | 2000 | ||
| Nordsjælland | 2002 | ||
 Ecuador[1] | Barcelona | 1957 | |
| Independiente del Valle | 2010 | ||
 Egypt[1] | Al Ahly | 1948 | |
| Zamalek | |||
| ENPPI | 2002 | ||
| Tala'ea El Gaish SC | 2004 | ||
| Smouha | 2010 | ||
 England[3][16] | Arsenal | 1992 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Premier League |
| Chelsea | |||
| Everton | |||
| Liverpool | |||
| Manchester United | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | |||
 Estonia[11] | Flora | 1992 | |
| Narva Trans | |||
| FCI Levadia | 1999 | ||
| Tartu Tammeka | 2005 | ||
| Nõmme Kalju | 2008 | ||
| Paide Linnameeskond | 2009 | ||
 Faroe Islands[1] | Havnar Bóltfelag | 1942 | |
| Víkingur Gøta | 2008 | ||
 Finland[1] | HJK | 1990 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Veikkausliiga |
| IFK Mariehamn | 2005 | ||
 Georgia[26] | Dinamo Tbilisi | 1990 | |
 Germany[1] | Bayern Munich | 1965 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Bundesliga |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 1979 | ||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 1997 | ||
| TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 2008 | ||
| FC Augsburg | 2011 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Bundesliga | |
 Ghana[1] | Asante Kotoko | 1958 | |
| Hearts of Oak | |||
| Ashanti Gold | 1986 | ||
| Aduana Stars F.C. | 2009 | ||
 Greece[1] | Olympiacos | 1959 | |
| Panathinaikos | |||
| PAOK | |||
| Asteras Tripolis | 2007 | ||
 Guatemala | CSD Municipal | 1942 | |
| Comunicaciones F.C. | 1950 | ||
 Honduras[1] | Marathón | 1965 | |
| Motagua | |||
| Olimpia | |||
| Real España | |||
| Vida | |||
 Hungary | Paksi FC | 2006 | |
 Indonesia[1] | Persija Jakarta | 1951 | |
| PSM Makassar | PSM withdrew from the qualifying stage for financial reasons in 1952 and played in the breakaway LPI 2010/11–2013, but they were never relegated | ||
 Republic of Ireland[1] | Bohemians | 1921 | |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 1951 | ||
 Iran[27] | Persepolis | 1970 | |
 Israel | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1931 | |
 Italy[16][28] | Inter Milan | 1929 | |
 Ivory Coast[1] | ASEC Mimosas | 1960 | |
 Japan[29] | Kashima Antlers | 1993 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the J1 League |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | |||
 Kazakhstan[30] | Shakhter Karagandy | 1992 | |
| Atyrau | 2001 | ||
 Kuwait | Al-Qadsia | 1961 | Withdrew from the league in 1996–97, but they never got relegated. |
 Kyrgyzstan[31] | FC Dordoi | 1999 | |
| Abdysh-Ata Kant | 2003 | ||
 Malaysia | Selangor | 2005 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Malaysia Super League |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2006 | ||
 Malta[1] | Hibernians | 1932 | Absent but never got relegated |
 Mexico[1][N 1] | América | 1943 | |
| Guadalajara | |||
| Toluca | 1953 | ||
| UNAM | 1962 | ||
| Cruz Azul | 1964 | ||
| Santos Laguna | 1988 | ||
| Club Tijuana | 2011 | ||
 Montenegro[33] | FK Budućnost Podgorica | 2006 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the 1. CFL |
| OFK Petrovac | |||
| FK Rudar Pljevlja | |||
| FK Sutjeska Nikšić | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the 1. CFL | ||
 Morocco | Raja CA | 1956 | |
| Wydad AC | |||
| ASFAR | 1959 | ||
 Netherlands[3] | Ajax | 1956 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Eredivisie |
| PSV | |||
| Feyenoord | In 1917 a new regional top-tier, the Eerste klasse West B, was created under pressure from clubs in the second tier, including Feyenoord. However, this league was considered inferior to the other regional top-tier competitions.[34] After only two years, the Eerste klasse West B was abolished and replaced by the Overgangsklasse, an intermediate level between the first and second tier. In 1921, Feyenoord finally entered the top flight[35] | ||
| FC Utrecht | 1970 | VV DOS played in every season of the Eredivisie before merging into FC Utrecht in 1970 | |
 Nigeria[36] | Enugu Rangers | 1972 | |
 Northern Ireland[17] | Cliftonville | 2008 | Never relegated since 1890 |
| Glentoran | |||
| Linfield | |||
| Dungannon Swifts | Never relegated since 2002 | ||
| Ballymena United | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Premiership | ||
| Coleraine | |||
| Crusaders | |||
| Glenavon | |||
 North Macedonia[1] | FK Rabotnički | 1998 | |
 Paraguay | Guaraní | 1906 | |
| Olimpia | |||
| Cerro Porteño | 1913 | ||
 Panama | Plaza Amador | 1988 | |
| Tauro | |||
| San Francisco | 1992 | Formerly Deportivo La Previsora | |
| Árabe Unido | 1996 | ||
| Sporting San Miguelito | 1997 | ||
| Universitario (Panama) | 2001 | Formerly Chorrillo FC | |
 Peru[1] | Universitario | 1928 | |
| Sporting Cristal[37] | 1956 | the direct successor of Club Sporting Tabaco, which was relegated from the top-tier league[38] | |
| Sport Huancayo | 2009 | ||
 Portugal[1] | Benfica | 1934 | |
| Porto | |||
| Sporting CP | |||
 Romania | FCSB | 1947 | |
| Botoșani | 2013 | ||
 Russia[1] | CSKA Moscow | 1992 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Football Championship |
| Lokomotiv Moscow | |||
| Spartak Moscow | |||
| FC Krasnodar | 2011 | ||
 Saudi Arabia[39] | Al Hilal SFC | 1976 | |
| Al Ittihad Club | |||
| Al Nassr | |||
 Scotland[22] | Celtic | 2013 | Never relegated since 1890 |
| Aberdeen | Never relegated since 1905, absent for two though relegation was suspended at the time and league membership was maintained | ||
| Motherwell | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Scottish Premiership | ||
| St. Johnstone | |||
 Serbia[40] | Partizan | 2006 | These teams were never relegated since their creation in 1945. Before 2006, they played in the predecessor leagues of the SuperLiga, the Yugoslav First League and the First League of Serbia and Montenegro. At their creation, the two teams replaced the pre-1945, also unrelegated teams, of OFK Beograd and SK Jugoslavija. Their matches against each other are called Eternal Derbies. |
| Red Star Belgrade | |||
| FK Vojvodina | 2006 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the SuperLiga | |
| FK Spartak Subotica | 2009 | ||
 Slovakia[14] | MFK Ružomberok | 1997 | |
 Slovenia[41] | NK Celje | 1991 | |
| NK Maribor | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the PrvaLiga | ||
| NK Olimpija Ljubljana | 2009 | ||
 South Africa | Kaizer Chiefs | 1996 | |
| Orlando Pirates | |||
| Mamelodi Sundowns | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the South African Premier Division | ||
| SuperSport United | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the South African Premier Division | ||
 South Korea | Pohang Steelers | 1983 | |
| FC Seoul | 1984 | ||
| Ulsan Hyundai | |||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1995 | ||
| Incheon United | 2004 | ||
 Suriname | Transvaal | 1923 | Current top-tier league is only in its first season |
 Spain[1] | Athletic Bilbao | 1929 | |
| FC Barcelona | |||
| Real Madrid CF | |||
 Syria[1] | Al-Ittihad SC Aleppo | 1966 | |
 Tajikistan[42] | CSKA Pamir Dushanbe | 1992 | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Tajik League |
| FK Khujand | 1997 | ||
 Tunisia[1] | CS Sfaxien | 1955 | |
| Club Africain | |||
| Espérance de Tunis | Did not participate in 1970–71 | ||
| Étoile du Sahel | Did not participate in 1961–62 | ||
 Turkey[1] | Beşiktaş | 1959 | |
| Fenerbahçe | |||
| Galatasaray | |||
| Trabzonspor | 1974 | ||
 Turkmenistan[43] | Nebitçi FT | 1992 | |
| Merw FK | |||
| Şagadam FK | 1994 | ||
 Ukraine[1] | Dynamo Kyiv | 1992 | |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Premier League | ||
| Vorskla | 1996 | ||
 United Arab Emirates | Al Ain FC | 1974 | |
| Al-Nasr SC | |||
| Al-Wasl FC | |||
| Al Wahda | 1985 | ||
| Al Jazira | 1988 | ||
 Uruguay[1] | Peñarol | 1900 | |
| Nacional | 1901 | ||
 Uzbekistan[44] | Navbahor Namangan | 1992 | |
| Pakhtakor Tashkent | Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the Uzbek League | ||
| Nasaf Qarshi | 1997 | ||
| PFK Metallurg Bekabad | 1998 | ||
| Qizilqum Zarafshon | 2000 | ||
 Venezuela | Deportivo Táchira | 1975 | |
| Caracas | 1985 | ||
| Deportivo La Guaira | 2009 | ||
 Vietnam | Song Lam Nghe An | 2000 | Formerly Song Lam Nghe Tinh Ranked 14th in the 2021 season but did not relegate due to the remaining of the season getting cancelled |
| Hoang Anh Gia Lai | 2003 | Formerly Gia Lai - Kon Tum | |
| Becamex Binh Duong | 2004 | Formerly Song Be and Cao Su Binh Long Relegated from a top-tier league prior to the establishment of the V.League 1 | |
| Dong A Thanh Hoa | 2007 | Formerly FLC Thanh Hoa, Lam Son Thanh Hoa and Thanh Hoa FC Originally finished 14th in the 2009 season, they merged into Viettel - Thanh Hoa FC (formerly The Cong FC), then finished 9th, and re-established as Lam Son Thanh Hoa FC, therefore escaped relegation. | |
| Hanoi FC | 2009 | Formerly Ha Noi T&T and T&T Ha Noi | |
 Wales[1] | Aberystwyth Town | 1992 | |
| Newtown | |||
| The New Saints | 1993 | Former Llansantffraid F.C. and Total Network Solutions | |
| Bala Town F.C. | 2009 |
The United States and Canada have a franchise system and therefore do not have relegation and promotion in that system.