Helsinki Football Club (abbreviated as "Helsinki", English name: HJK Helsinki) was proposed to be established as a professional football club by businessman Franz Frederick Watten in early 1907. The resolution was passed in May of the same year, and the founding meeting was held in June at Kaisaniemi, naming it HJK Helsinki.
In 1960, Olli Litmanen became the president, providing financial and employment support. In 1963, the ice hockey team was dissolved, and in 1964, under the guidance of coach Olis Lütkainen, the team reclaimed the league championship and qualified for the European Cup for the first time. In 1966, they won the Finnish Cup for the first time, and women's football started in 1946, winning the championship in 1971. In 1976, the club transformed into a pure football club. They won championships in 1973 and 1981 (the first double of league and cup), and from 1985 to 1988, under coach Jyrki Heliskoski, they won three championships in a row.
Founded in 1992, HJK-Klubi Oy attracted investment and won the league championship despite facing an economic crisis. In 1996, they fired their head coach for the first time and advanced to the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds after defeating their opponents in the relegation playoffs, becoming the first Finnish team to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. They won the league championship again in 2002 and 2003, as well as the cup championship, and celebrated their centenary in 2007, although they finished seventh in the league. They won the championship again in 2009 and 2010.
Entering the 21st century, they began a period of dominance. From 2011 to 2013, they achieved three consecutive league titles, and from 2014 to 2015, they achieved six consecutive titles (during which they became the first Finnish team to reach the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in the 2014-15 season). In 2017, they won both the league and cup titles again, defended their league title in 2018, and won four consecutive championships from 2020 to 2023, currently sitting third in the league in 2024.