Birmingham, otherwise known as England's second city, is a hotbed for football and features clubs that play across the English football pyramid, from the Premier League through to non-league.
Not to get mixed up with the Midlands, as there are many more clubs in that region, Birmingham, on its own, still has its fair share of top clubs, one of which has won the European Cup. It also plays host to one of English football's fiercest rivalries, between Aston Villa and Birmingham City.
Ever wondered how many football teams are in Birmingham? Here's a full guide to the Second City…
Map of football teams in Birmingham
Below is a map showing the location and the number of football teams in Birmingham.
Birmingham Premier League teams
As things stand, Aston Villa are Birmingham's only representatives in the Premier League. However, their rivals, Birmingham City, may be hoping that their investment can help them change that in the coming years. But for now, the Villains remain Birmingham's only top-flight club.
Aston Villa have a long and rich European history, which also makes them the city's most decorated team. During the 1981/82 season, they became the fourth English club to lift the European Cup when they defeated German giants Bayern Munich in Rotterdam.
As well as their European glory, Villa have also enjoyed domestic success. The Villains boast seven top-flight titles, seven FA Cups, five League Cups, alongside that famous night in Rotterdam.
Founded in 1874, they are also one of England’s oldest clubs and among the country’s best-supported sides, playing at Villa Park since 1897.
Nearby, Wolverhampton Wanderers, based in the Black Country, is another Premier League team located close to Birmingham, though not within the city itself. Regardless of the borderlines, Wolves are almost certainly about to exit the Premier League.
Championship teams from Birmingham
A tier down in the Championship are Aston Villa's fierce rivals, Birmingham City. Despite being younger and less successful than Villa, Birmingham City fans still feel as if they are the main club in the city due to their name and location.
City were founded in 1875, one year after Aston Villa. The two clubs face off in the Second City Derby, and there has been no love lost between the fans over the years.
Whilst Birmingham City has a huge following from the city, their success on the field is nowhere near that of their big rivals. The club has never won a top-flight league title, nor have they won an FA Cup, coming close on two occasions when they lost in the 1931 and 1956 finals.
They won the League Cup twice in 1963 and then again in 2011 when they beat Arsenal. It was bittersweet for the Blues, who were also relegated from the Premier League that season. They haven't played in the Premier League since.
The club plays at St Andrew's Stadium and has done so since 1906, but that could soon be about to change. Grand plans for a new Birmingham City stadium with a capacity of 60,000 have been unveiled by their American owners, and the wheels are in motion to make these plans a reality before the end of the current decade.
In November 2025, Birmingham City unveiled designs for their new 62,000-seater stadium dubbed ‘The Birmingham City Powerhouse', however it has been stated by club chairman Tom Wagner that official naming rights for the ground will go to the highest bidder.
The stadium is headlined by 12 chimney structures, reflecting the industrial heritage of the Second City, a key part in the plans for a venue which is set to replace St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park as Blues' home ground at the start of the 2030-31 season.
By then, it is largely expected that Birmingham will be brushing shoulders with arch rivals Aston Villa in the Premier League, although the ambitions of the two-time League Cup winners do not stop at simply battling their cross-city foes.
In their new stadium, Blues are on a mission to upset the established order at the top of English football, hoping to compete in the Champions League eventually, with the potential of hometown hero Jude Bellingham returning in the future.
League One clubs from Birmingham
There are no clubs from Birmingham currently competing in League One. This was not the case during the 2024-25 campaign, though, with Birmingham City dropping down to the level for the first time in three decades following relegation the previous term.
Breaking the division's transfer record on multiple occasions, Blues swept the third tier aside and secured a record-breaking tally of 111 points across 46 fixtures, finishing miles ahead of second-placed Wrexham.
Chris Davies's side were mightily close to completing a double last term, reaching the final of the EFL Trophy in April before suffering a shock 2-0 defeat to Peterborough United at Wembley Stadium in front of investor and NFL legend Tom Brady.
It is highly unlikely that Blues will return to League One anytime soon given their trajectory under Knighthead Capital Management.
League Two clubs from Birmingham
There is only one club in League Two that hails from Birmingham, and it is Walsall FC. Founded in 1888 and nicknamed ‘The Saddlers', they play their home matches at the Bescot Stadium.
While the stadium isn't anything to write home about, it is one of the most recognisable in the United Kingdom due to its location just off the M6. Football fans up and down the country frequently pass the stadium on trips up north and/or down south, and it often marks the midway point of the journey.
With limited success throughout their history, their latest triumph was back in the 2006-07 season when they won League Two. During the 2024/25 season, they should have secured promotion once again, but a late collapse in the league and a loss in the playoff final means they have another season in League Two to look forward to.
They have won the Birmingham Senior Cup four times, although this is only considered a minor competition.
While their local rivals are Wolves and West Brom, they rarely meet either of these clubs due to their different levels of play. So, Shrewsbury and Port Vale have become rivals and are the closest football clubs to Walsall.
However, the fortunes of West Brom in the Championship during the 2025-26 campaign suggest that a meeting between the Baggies and the Saddlers in the near future could be possible, should a certain number of things happen within the next few months.
The Albion are embroiled in a second-tier relegation battle under the stewardship of Eric Ramsay, who failed to win any of his opening five matches in charge of the Black Country outfit, sending them spiralling down the Championship standings.
Despite experience a poor run of form at the start of 2026, Walsall are still in contention for promotion to League One via the playoffs, although Mat Sadler's men need to address their worrying winless run sooner rather than later.
If both sides move into League One next season, there would be a rare pair of meetings between the clubs, with West Brom shadowing over Walsall in terms of club history and pedigree.
National League and non-league football teams in Birmingham
A few football clubs play in the lower leagues of the English football pyramid. You'll find Solihull Moors in the National League, founded only in 2007. They play their home games at the Damson Stadium.
Other notable clubs from the area who play in lower leagues are Tividale, Stourbridge, Halesowen Town, Bilston Town, Rushall Olympic, Romulus FC, and Sutton Coldfield.
