Cardiff City Football Club, a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales, was founded in 1899 as Riverside A.F.C. by members of Riverside Cricket Club. The club's first year was made up of friendlies before they were admitted to the Cardiff & District League in 1900 and later the South Wales League in 1907. The following year, the club were granted permission to adopt the name Cardiff City, having been denied the previous year as they were deemed not to be playing at a high enough level, and moved into the English football league system for the first time by joining Division Two of the Southern Football League. They won promotion to Division One in the 1912–13 season and remained there until 1920, playing just three seasons during this time due to the outbreak of the First World War when league football was abandoned. In 1920, they were elected to The Football League, joining the Second Division for one season, winning promotion in their first season after finishing second. The club also competed regularly in the Welsh Cup, winning the trophy 22 times during their history, second only to Wrexham's 23, before they were denied entrance into the competition from 1995 onward by the Football Association of Wales, along with all other clubs playing in the English league pyramid.

The following decade is regarded as the most successful in the club's history as they finished second during the 1923–24 season, losing out on winning the league title on the goal average system used at the time to Huddersfield Town. During this period, they reached two FA Cup finals, losing 1–0 to Sheffield United in 1925 before returning to the final two years later, beating Arsenal 1–0 at Wembley Stadium in 1927. They also won the FA Charity Shield after beating amateur side Corinthians 2–1. Cardiff remain the only non-English side to have ever won the FA Cup or FA Charity Shield.

Cardiff were relegated for the first time in their history in 1929 and entered a period of decline, dropping into the third tier two years later. The club did manage to return to the top tier in 1952, but their relegation in 1962 led to a decline in the club's fortunes that saw them outside the top division for 51 years, the longest absence in the club's history, not returning until 2013. Relegation from Division Two in the 1984–85 season saw the club enter a downward period that culminated with their joint lowest ever finish in the Football League, 22nd in the fourth tier in the 1995–96 season.

In 2000, the club was purchased by Lebanese businessman Sam Hammam, who invested money into the side and saw them rise from the fourth tier to the second tier in just three seasons. Although Hammam left the club in 2006, they continued their progress, reaching the Football League Championship play-offs for three consecutive seasons between 2009 and 2012, suffering defeat on all three occasions. The following season, under the ownership of new owner Vincent Tan, they finished first in the Championship, winning promotion back into the top tier for the first time since 1962. However, they suffered relegation in their only season and returned to the Championship.

As of the end of the 2025–26 season, the club had spent 17 seasons in the top tier of English football, 51 in the second, 21 in the third and 10 in the fourth. This list details their achievements in first-team competitions, and records their top goalscorer, for each completed season since their first appearance in the English football pyramid as members of the Southern Football League in 1910–11. Due to the unavailability of complete statistics, seasons prior to 1910 in the amateur Welsh leagues are not included.

Key

Key to league record: Pld = Matches played W = Matches won D = Matches drawn L = Matches lost GF = Goals for GA = Goals against Pts = Points Pos = Final position

Key to divisions: SL Div 1 = Southern Football League First Division SL Div 2 = Southern Football League Second Division Div 1 = Football League First Division Div 2 = Football League Second Division Div 3 = Football League Third Division Div 4 = Football League Fourth Division Champ = EFL Championship Prem = Premier League

Key to rounds: GS = Group Stages QR = Qualifying round R1 = Round 1 R2 = Round 2 R3 = Round 3 R4 = Round 4 R5 = Round 5 QF = Quarter-finals SF = Semi-finals RU = Runners-up W = Winners

Key to colours and symbols: 1st or W Winners 2nd or RU Runners-up Promoted Relegated * Promoted via play-offs ♦ Top league scorer in Cardiff's division

Seasons SeasonLeagueFA Cup Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.League CupWelshCupOtherTop scorer(s)Average Home AttendanceDivisionPldWDLGFGAPtsPosCompetitionResultPlayer(s)Goals1910–11SL Div 22212464829282R191911–12SL Div 2261547552634W161912–13SL Div 2 241851541441SF161913–14SL Div 13813121346423810th3R101914–15SL Div 138217107238481R3R131915–19The Southern League was suspended until after the First World War.1919–20SL Div 142181777043533RW141920–21Div 24224108593258SF2028,0001921–22Div 1 42191013615348QFW3027,5001922–23Div 1 42187177359433RW2828,2381923–24Div 1 4222137613457QF5R2429,3241924–25Div 1 4216111556514311th5R2221,2381925–26Div 1 421671961763916th4R5R2117,9461926–27Div 1 421691755654114thWW3115,4241927–28Div 1 421710157080445RWFA Charity ShieldW2515,6071928–29Div 1 428132143592922nd3R1514,8801929–30Div 2 42188166159444RW1512,9441930–31Div 2 42892547872522nd3RSF128,2671931–32Div 3S42198158773461R6R287,6841932–33Div 3S421272369993119th1RSF187,0081933–34Div 3S429627571052422nd1R6RThird Division South Cup1R137,9591934–35Div 3S421392062823519th1R7RThird Division South Cup2R199,9081935–36Div 3S4213101960733620th1R7RThird Division South Cup1R119,5281936–37Div 3S421472154873518th3R6RThird Division South Cup2R915,6611937–38Div 3S4215121567544210th3R6RThird Division South Cup2R2820,0091938–39Div 3S4215111661654113th4RThird Division South Cup2R2114,1071939–40Div 3S3201554—6R41939–45The Football League was suspended until after the Second World War.1945–46—————————3R—Bryn Allen11946–47Div 3S 4230669330663R5R3028,6041947–48Div 2421811136158473R5R1237,8711948–49Div 2421913106247515RSF1435,0911949–50Div 24216101641444210th5R7R1228,5211950–51Div 242171695345503R1828,8881951–52Div 2 422011117254513R6R2728,9451952–53Div 14214121654464012th3RSF1537,9321953–54Div 1421881651714410th4RSF1532,4101954–55Div 14213111862763720th3RSF2424,3111955–56Div 1421591855693917th4RW2826,6311956–57Div 1 421092353882921st4R6R2520,5281957–58Div 2421491963773715th5R5R1515,8931958–59Div 242187176565434RW1717,7591959–60Div 2 42231279062573R2124,1831960–61Div 14213111860853715th3R2RSF3023,3901961–62Div 1 429141950813221st3R3RSF2119,2941962–63Div 2421871783734310th3R2R6R2415,5671963–64Div 24214101856813815th3R2RW1713,7821964–65Div 24213141564574013th3R2RWCup Winners' CupQF1910,5881965–66Div 24212102071913420th4RSF5RCup Winners' Cup1R2311,0051966–67Div 2421292161873320th4R2RW1710,2581967–68Div 24213121760663813th3R2RWCup Winners' CupSF1813,3011968–69Div 242207156754473R2RWCup Winners' Cup1R31 ♦16,8701969–70Div 2421813116141493R2RWCup Winners' Cup2R2821,4861970–71Div 242201396441534R2RWCup Winners' CupQF2221,5751971–72Div 24210141856693419th5R2RCup Winners' Cup1R2715,5391972–73Div 24211112043583320th4R1RW1911,6341973–74Div 24210161649623617th3R2RWCup Winners' Cup1R1410,6781974–75Div 2 429141936623221st3R1RCup Winners' Cup1R109,2241975–76Div 3 462213116948574R1RW2911,6961976–77Div 24212102056673418th5R2RRUCup Winners' Cup1R2412,4631977–78Div 24213121751713819th3R2RSFCup Winners' Cup1R148,3691978–79Div 2421610165670423R1R5RAnglo-Scottish CupGS189,2591979–80Div 2421681841484015th3R2R4R119,9321980–81Div 24212121844603619th3R3R4R196,7701981–82Div 2 421282245614420th3R1R185,4981982–83Div 3 462511107650862R2R3R267,7301983–84Div 2421562153665115th3R2R5R187,0161984–85Div 2 42982547793521st3R2R4R174,3721985–86Div 3 461292553834522nd1R1RSFAssociate Members' CupGS173,4331986–87Div 44615161548506113th4R4R4RAssociate Members' CupGS113,1281987–88Div 4 46241396641851R1RWAssociate Members' Cup1R254,8491988–89Div 34614151744565716th3R2R5R234,7821989–90Div 3 4612142057705021st3R1RSFAssociate Members' CupGS233,6301990–91Div 44615151643546013th1R2R3RAssociate Members' CupGS162,9581991–92Div 4421715106653661R1RWAssociate Members' Cup1R285,6651992–93 4225897747831R1RW187,7971993–944613151866795419th5R1RFootball League Trophy2R226,0801994–95 469112646743822nd1R1R154,5431995–964611122341644522nd2R2RFootball League Trophy1R303,4201996–9746209175654692R1RFootball League Trophy2R143,5941997–98469231448525021st4R1RFootball League TrophyFAW Premier Cup1RRU143,5741998–99 462214106039804R1RFootball League TrophyFAW Premier Cup1RSF227,1311999–2000 469172045674421st3R2RFootball League TrophyFAW Premier Cup1RRU176,9032000–01 462313109558823R1RFootball League TrophyFAW Premier Cup1RQF257,9622001–0246231497550834R1RFootball League TrophyFAW Premier Cup2RW1612,5222002–03 46231211684381*3R2RFootball League TrophyFAW Premier Cup3RSF35 ♦13,0492003–044617141568586513th3R2RFAW Premier CupSF2615,5692004–05Champ4613151848515416th3R4RFAW Premier CupQF1413,0292005–06Champ4616121858596011th3R3RFAW Premier CupQF2011,8022006–07Champ4617131657536413th3R1RFAW Premier CupSF2215,2242007–08Champ4616161459556412th4RFAW Premier CupSF1113,9392008–09Champ462617106553744R3R2318,4492009–10Champ462210147354765R3R25 ♦19,4132010–11Champ462311127654803R2R2022,0912011–12Champ46191896653753R1322,1392012–13Champ 46251297245873R1R 922,2962013–14 38792240743020th5R3R 927,4302014–15Champ4616141657616211th4R3R 1120,9452015–16Champ461717125651683R2R 916,4632016–17Champ461611185761593R1R 1216,5642017–18Champ 46279106939904R2R 1120,1642018–19 38104243469343R2R531,2292019–20Champ461916116858734R2R 920,7382020–21Champ461814146649683R1R 2002021–22Champ46158235068533R2R 618,8692022–23Champ461310234158493R1R 819,4552023–24Champ46195225370623R3R 621,2132024–25 46917204873445R2R1219,3442025–26 46271099050911RQFEFL TrophyRound of 321419,583

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