Cardiff City Football Club is a Welsh professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club was founded in 1899 and initially played in local amateur leagues before joining the English football league system. After spending a decade in the Southern Football League, Cardiff joined the Football League in 1920. Since then, the club has played in all four professional divisions of the Football League, spending 17 seasons in the top tier since its formation. Cardiff has also reached the final of the FA Cup on three occasions, winning the trophy in the 1927 final, and the League Cup once. The team currently plays in the second tier of the English league system, the EFL Championship. Billy Hardy is the club's record appearance holder having played in 590 first team matches between 1911 and 1931. Phil Dwyer made the most appearances for the club in the Football League with 471. The club's goalscoring record is held by Len Davies who scored 179 times between 1919 and 1931. Davies is one of only eight players to have scored 100 or more goals in the club's history. The list encompasses the major honours won by Cardiff City, records set by the club, its managers and players, and details of its performance in European competition. The player records section itemises the club's leading goalscorers and those who have made most appearances in first-team competitions. It also records achievements by Cardiff City players on the international stage, and the club's highest transfer fees. Attendance records at Ninian Park and the Cardiff City Stadium, the club's home grounds since 1910 and 2009 respectively, are also included.

Honours

Cardiff City was originally founded in 1899 as Riverside A.F.C., initially playing in local amateur competitions. The club won its first trophy under the guise by winning the Bevan Shield, an amateur cup competition, in 1905. The club changed its name to Cardiff City in 1908 and entered the Southern Football League in 1910. The club was the first side based in South Wales to win the Welsh Cup after defeating Pontypridd in the 1912 final. The side won its first league honour by winning the Southern Football League Second Division title the following year, in the 1912–13 season. Cardiff entered the Football League in 1920 and enjoyed the most successful period in its history. Cardiff finished as First Division runners-up in the 1923–24 season and reached two FA Cup finals, losing the first in 1925 before becoming the only non-English side to win the cup two years later in 1927, defeating Arsenal 1–0. The club reached a third FA Cup final 82 years later in 2008 but suffered a 1–0 defeat to Portsmouth. The club is the second most successful side in the history of the Welsh Cup having won the competition on 22 occasions, one fewer than Wrexham. The most recent honour won by the club was the Championship title during the 2012–13 season. Cardiff City's list of competition victories includes:

League titles

Southern Football League

Football League

Cups

Match records

Firsts

Record results

Season records

Attendance records

Player appearance records

Most appearances

Competitive matches only, appearances as substitute in brackets and included in totals.

Longest run of consecutive league appearances

Defender Don Murray holds the record for the longest unbroken spell of appearances for the club, playing in 146 consecutive matches between May 1968 and November 1971.

Player scoring records

All-time leading goalscorers

Number of appearances in brackets Figures correct as of end of 2020–21 season

Progressive season scoring record

Richard Peake scored 19 goals in Cardiff's first season in the Southern Football League. This list charts the top scoring season record for the club on the occasions it has been beaten or equalled.

International records

Manager records

Transfers

Record transfer fees paid

Record transfer fees received