Southampton Football Club (commonly known as "Southampton", English name: Southampton F.C.), founded in 1885 by members of the St. Mary's Young Men's Association, was initially named "St. Mary's Y.M.A." In 1894, when it joined the Southern League, it was renamed "Southampton St. Mary's", and in 1897, it was simplified to its current name and became a limited company.
The club joined the Southern League in 1894, was named Southampton in 1897, and reached the FA Cup final twice in 1900 and 1902, but lost both times. In 1920, it became a founding member of the third tier of the Football League, and was promoted to the second tier in 1922, where it remained for 31 years. In 1966, it entered the top tier for the first time, and in 1976, it defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final to win the club's first major trophy. In 1979, it finished as runners-up in the League Cup, and in 1984, it finished as runners-up in the First Division. In 1992, it became a founding member of the Premier League, and produced famous players such as Le Tissier and Shearer. In 2003, it reached the FA Cup final again.
After relegation in 2005, the team entered a period of decline. In 2009, they were relegated to League One and underwent bankruptcy restructuring, but were subsequently acquired and revived. In 2010, they won the Football League Cup, and from 2010 to 2012, they were successively promoted back to the Premier League. In 2015, Sadio Mané scored the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history (176 seconds). In 2017, they were runners-up in the League Cup. In 2019, they suffered a humiliating 0-9 defeat at home against Leicester City. In 2023, they were relegated, and in 2024, they returned to the Premier League through the playoffs. In April 2025, they were relegated seven rounds before the end of the season, becoming the earliest team to be relegated in Premier League history. Currently, they are preparing for the Championship.
The club is renowned for its youth development program and has a long-standing rivalry with Portsmouth in the "South Coast Derby." It is a traditional powerhouse in English football, steeped in history and legend.