Wigan Athletic Football Club (commonly known as "Wigan Athletic", in English: Wigan Athletic FC) was founded in 1932 and is a professional football club located in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
In its early years, the team participated in amateur leagues for a long time until it joined the professional league system in 1978. In 2005, Wigan was promoted to the Premier League as the runner-up in the Championship, and although it faced relegation battles in several seasons, it always managed to stay in the top league. In May 2013, Wigan made history by winning the FA Cup, but just three days later, they suffered a league defeat and were unfortunately relegated, becoming the first team to win the FA Cup in the same season they were relegated.
In the 2017-18 and 2021-22 seasons, the club won the EFL League One championship twice, but after being promoted to the EFL Championship, they were unable to maintain their position. The club has faced financial issues in recent years, resulting in a 12-point deduction in 2020 due to bankruptcy, which led to relegation, and in 2023, they faced another point deduction for failing to pay salaries on time, ultimately resulting in relegation from the EFL Championship to EFL League One.
In the club's history, Wigan has achieved notable success in the FA Cup as a 'non-league team', famously eliminating strong teams like Manchester City three times within five years, becoming a celebrated story in cup competitions. The club's ownership has also changed hands multiple times, including being acquired by a Hong Kong consortium, which later transferred to a consortium led by Bahraini businessmen.