City Football Group Limited (CFG) is a British-based holding company that owns some of the best football teams worldwide.
The clubs are have been grouped as subsidiaries of the company.
Some of the best football clubs in the City Football Group network includes Manchester City, Melbourne City FC, New York City FC, etc.
The company is also one of the wealthiest football club owners, with most of its revenue accrued from the ownership of English Premier League giants Manchester City.
Over the years, the company has secured teams in major football countries like Spain, the United States, Australia, Uruguay, Japan, etc.
Cool facts
Which clubs do City Football Group own? Top clubs include Man City, Melbourne City, Montevideo City, Mumbai City, New York City FC Girona, Sichuan Jiuniu, etc.
How many clubs are in the city group? The City Football Group owns 14 Professionally run football clubs worldwide, excluding youth and reserve teams as of 2021.
List of football teams owned by City Football Group (CFG)
1. Manchester City FC – England
2. Manchester City Women – England
3. New York City FC – United States
4. Melbourne City – Australia
5. Melbourne City Women – Australia
6. Yokohama F. Marinos – Japan
7. Montevideo City Torque – Uruguay
8. Girona FC – Spain
9. Girona FC Femení A – Spain
10. Sichuan Jiuniu – China
11. Mumbai City FC – India
12. Lommel SK – Belgium
13. Troyes AC – France
14. Troyes AC Féminine – France
City Football Group Teams – subsidiaries and partner clubs around the world
1. Manchester City
Club Name: Manchester City Football Club
Nickname: The Citizens
League: Premier League
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Founded: 1887
Manchester City is the second most successful football club in Greater Manchester and also one of the biggest brands in England.
The club competes in little football competitions, including the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, FA Community Shield, etc.
Internationally, Man City also competed in the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s most prestigious football competition played by top teams from the big leagues.
Manchester City has enjoyed remarkable achievements since the takeover by the company. The club is currently one of the most feared teams in the league.
In terms of the number of trophies won, Manchester City is one of the most successful teams in England.
The club has won over twenty-eight major domestic, and European honours ranked as one of the most decorated sides in England.
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Man City appointed Spaniard Guardiola, who is currently the club’s most successful manager in their history; winning ten titles to date
City Football Group England Takeover
The company took over the which includes a complete overhaul of all departments with a strong intent of moving top the as fast as possible.
2. Manchester City Women
Club Name: Manchester City Women’s Football Club
Nickname: The Citizens
League: FA WSL
Stadium: Academy Stadium
Founded: 1988
Manchester City Women’s is a professional women’s football club based in England.
Since the City Football Group takeover, the club has moved from an average to a more dominant side in the English FA Women Super League.
The club has won major domestic trophies like the FA Cup, FA WSL Continental Cup, etc.
For Manchester City Women Football Club, it’s been steady growth over the past couple of seasons across major domestic and continental competitions.
3. New York City Football Club
Club Name: New York City Football Club
Nickname: The Pigeons
League: MLS
Stadium: Yankee Stadium
Founded: 2013
New York City FC is a professional soccer club based in New York. The club competes in Major League Soccer as a member of the Eastern Conference.
The city joined the Major League Soccer franchise as one of the new expansion teams in 2015 as the twentieth.
Today, New York City FC boost has one of the highest matchday attendance and one of the most valuable soccer teams in the Major League Soccer.
2016 and 2017, the team finished as runners up in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs.
Although the club is yet to win a major trophy in the United States Soccer scene, it is still one of the finest teams with more fans and followers across the country.
4. Melbourne City FC
Club Name: Melbourne City Football Club
Nickname: City, Heart
League: A-League
Stadium: AAMI Park
Founded: 2009
Melbourne City Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne.
The team competes in the Australian A-League.
The club was known as Melbourne Heart before its name changed to Melbourne City after the City Football Group takeover.
Melbourne City is currently one of the most successful teams in Australian soccer alongside Sydney FC Melbourne Victory.
MORE: Biggest football clubs in Australia
The Australian top-flight running in similar fashion format and structure as the Major League Soccer, Melbourne City have won the Premiers and Champions or Grand Final.
City Football Group acquired Melbourne Heart for $12 million and officially renamed it Melbourne City Football Club as part of its new city football network.
5. Melbourne City Women
Club Name: Melbourne City Women Football Club
Nickname: N/A
League: W-League
Stadium: Frank Holohan Soccer Complex
Founded: 2015
Melbourne City Women Football Club was officially created after the parent compared CFG measured the success it recorded with Manchester City Women FC in England.
The Group thought it was wise to invest in women soccer in Australia.
The club was immediately accepted into the Australian Women’s League as part of its expansion teams.
As seen in England, the team became successful during its early years, including a triumph in the women’s league and playoffs series.
Melbourne City Women Football Club is currently one of the most successful women’s soccer teams in Australia today, with two premierships and four Championships.
6. Yokohama F. Marinos
Club Name: Yokohama F. Marinos
Nickname: Tricolor
League: J1 League
Stadium: Nissan Stadium
Founded: 1972
Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese professional football club based in Yokohama that competes in the J1 League.
Yokohama is one of Japan’s most successful football clubs with four league titles in its entire history.
Despite the competition in Japanese football, the club has competed at the highest level with the best standard.
The introduction of the City Football Group quickly turned the club’s fortune in the league.
This led to the club’s revamp in many areas, including management, transfers, youth development, etc.
Yokohama F. Marinos, along with Kashima Antlers, is one of only two teams to have competed in Japan’s top flight every year since its inception.
The club has won the league once since its new owners took charge of the helms of affairs at the club.
The club has competed against big names like Kawasaki Frontale, Kashima Antlers, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Urawa Red Diamonds, Gamba Osaka, Júbilo Iwata, etc.
Yokohama remains an active contender for the league title.
7. Montevideo City Torque
Club Name: Montevideo City Torque
Nickname: Torque
League: Primera División
Stadium: Estadio Charrúa
Founded: 2007
Montevideo City Torque is an Uruguayan Professional football club based in the capital city of Montevideo.
It competes in the Uruguayan Primera División.
It was known as Club Atletico Torque before the City Football Group takeover changed the name to Montevideo City Torque.
CFG takeover resulted in several administrative and infrastructural changes to take the club to a high level as fast as possible.
The club is yet to lift the Uruguayan Primera División, and as such not considered as the country’s most excellent team.
Montevideo City Torque has won Segunda División twice and Tercera División once.
Top teams in Uruguay include Peñarol, Nacional, Defensor Sporting, Danubio, River Plate FC (Uruguay), Montevideo Wanderers, etc.
8. Girona FC
Club Name: Girona Futbol Club, S.A.D.
Nickname: White and Reds
League: Segunda División
Stadium: Estadi Montilivi
Founded: 1930
Girona FC is a Spanish professional football club based in Girona that competes in the La Liga Smart bank.
Although at Girona, CFG does not control the significant share, there’s still a high level of influenza by the company.
As part of plans to expand its football investment to Spain, City Football Group acquired about 43 per cent of Girona.
Despite Girona’s status as a small team in Spain, there has been some growth in the group.
The club’s ownership also extends to the Girona FC’s youth and reserve teams like the Girona FC B team that plays in the lower leagues of Spain.
9. Girona FC Femení A
Club Name: Girona Futbol Club Femení
Nickname: N/A
League: Primera Nacional
Stadium: Torres de Palau Municipal
Founded: 2020
Girona FC Femení A is a professional women’s football club based in Girona, Spain, competes in the Primera Nacional.
To further expand its support for women football, the City Football Group decided to purchase a stake in the team.
10. Sichuan Jiuniu
Club Name: Sichuan Jiuniu Football Club
Nickname: N/A
League: China League One
Stadium: Longquanyi Stadium
Founded: 2017
Sichuan Jiuniu Football Club is a Chinese Professional football club based in Chengdu, China, that competes in the China League One.
Founded in 2017, the club began its journey to the top of the amateur leagues before promoting League One, China’s second-tier league.
The ever-growing soccer scenes in China became a subject of interest to the top hierarchy at CFG, who sought to enter the Chinese market.
This is one of the clubs City Football Group only owns a minority share.
11. Mumbai City FC
Club Name: Mumbai City Football Club
Nickname: The Islanders
League: Indian Super League
Stadium: Mumbai Football Arena
Founded: 2014
Mumbai City Football Club is an Indian professional football club that competes in the Indian Super League.
City Football Group enjoyed a significant share of the Super League France team after it was officially confirmed.
After the CFG takeover in 2019, the club emerged as Champions and Premiers of the Indian Super League 2020/2021 season.
Mumbai City is currently one of the strongest football clubs in the Indian Super League franchise league.
12. Lommel SK
Club Name: Lommel SK
Nickname: N/A
League: Belgian First Division B
Stadium: Soevereinstadion
Founded: 2003
Lommel SK is a Belgian Professional football club Lommel that competes in the Belgian First Division B.
City Football Group serves as the majority owner of the team.
13. ESTAC Troyes
Club Name: Espérance Sportive Troyes
Aube Champagne
Nickname: ESTAC
League: Ligue 1
Stadium: Stade de l’Aube
Founded: 1986
Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne or Troyes is a french Professional football club based in Troyes that competes in the Ligue 1.
Troyes famously won the now-defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001, beating Premier League side Newcastle United.
Troyes AC has won the French Ligue 2 twice.
City Football Group purchased shares of the team in 2020.
14. Troyes AC Féminine
Troyes AC Féminine is a French professional women’s football club based in Troyes.
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City Football Group Teams – Youth and Reserve
Men
Melbourne City Youth
Girona B
Mumbai City FC Reserves
Troyes AC Reserves
Women
Girona FC Femení B
City Football Group Partner Clubs
1. Club Bolivar
Club Bolívar is a Bolivian Professional football club based in La Paz that competes in the Bolivian Primera División.
It is a heavily supported football club in Bolivia. The club is also one of the most successful teams in the history of football in Bolivia.
The club announced it has partnered with CFG.
2. Vannes OC
Vannes is a french football club based in Vannes. It competes in the National 2 and is currently one of CFG partner clubs.
Vannes currently competes in lower leagues in France.
City Football Group Net Worth
The company is estimated to be around GB£1,530 million.
City Football Group Owners
Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) 78%, 10% Silver Lake and 12% China Media Capital and CITIC Capital.
Most successful City Football Group teams
Manchester City
Manchester City is the most successful City Football Group team in the world.
The club, since the introduction of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, has won more trophies than any other side in the Premier League.
Currently, Man City has been ranked amongst the best in the 21st century.
Melbourne City
Melbourne City has gone on to win the A-League Premiers and Champions.
Melbourne City Women
Melbourne City Women made a big statement after it was admitted into the Australian W-League.
The club is currently one of the best women soccer teams in the country.
Manchester City Women
City Women Football Club won the league and the Women’s FA Cup.
Yokohama F Marinos
Although most of the club’s success was achieved before the City group takeover, the club remains one of the company’s most successful.
