Fulham Football Club was founded in 1879 in the Fulham district of west London, making them the oldest professional football club in the capital. Starting life as a church team, they turned professional in 1898 and spent their early years competing in the Southern League, winning back-to-back titles in 1905–06 and 1906–07 before being elected to the Football League's Second Division in 1907.
The mid-twentieth century brought Fulham their most celebrated individual talent: Johnny Haynes, who made 657 appearances for the club between 1952 and 1970, captained England 22 times, and became the first British player to earn £100 per week. His era saw Fulham hold their own in the First Division and reach the FA Cup semi-finals on multiple occasions, though a major domestic trophy always proved elusive. The closest the club came was the 1975 FA Cup final, which they lost 2–0 to West Ham United.
A transformative period arrived in 1997 when businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed took over, funding a rapid rise from the third tier to the Premier League by 2001. Sustained top-flight football followed for 13 consecutive seasons, highlighted by the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002 and a remarkable run to the 2010 UEFA Europa League final, where they lost to Atlético Madrid after extra time.
Since relegation in 2014, the club under owner Shahid Khan has oscillated between the Premier League and the Championship, winning the EFL Championship title in 2021–22 to secure their current spell in the top flight. Home since 1896 at the riverside Craven Cottage, Fulham's defining rivalries are the west London derbies against Chelsea, Brentford, and Queens Park Rangers.