They say that winning is a habit for successful clubs, and certain teams have dominated their home country so completely that it is hard to see that run ever coming to an end.
There have been plenty of extended dynasties across Europe’s bigger leagues — such as Bayern Munich’s run of 11 straight Bundesliga championships between 2013 and 2023, nine-in-a-row title runs for Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, and Juventus’ hold over Serie A between 2012 and 2020 — but there are some less famous teams who have enjoyed an even greater stranglehold over their domestic rivals.
Historically, Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar won 14 consecutive league titles between 2003 and 2016, a feat matched by the now defunct Skonto Riga in Latvia. Tafea FC from the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu claim to have bettered that with 15 wins on the bounce, but there are doubts over whether that should count as their triumphs were against regional selections rather than within a proper national league structure.
But which teams, who might not be household names across the world, are the all-conquering powerhouses in their own backyards right now?
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FK Arkadag can lay claim to the staggering record of never having dropped a single league point in their history. Since they were founded in April 2023, they have won all 82 league matches and, unsurprisingly, have claimed three consecutive championships in the Yokary Liga.
One factor in this incredible success could be that the club’s founder is Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow — the former president of Turkmenistan. Arkadag means “Protector,” the title Berdimuhamedow adopted while in power from 2007 until 2022, when his son Serdar took over as the former Soviet state’s leader. The $3.3 billion “smart city” of Arkadag was built to Berdimuhamedow Sr.’s specifications in 2022.
This clout allowed FK Arkadag to assemble a dream team of Turkmen talent and, in a nation where no foreigners play, that is a significant advantage. In addition to their league dominance, they have also won all 14 domestic cup ties that they have contested — adding three Turkmenistan Cups, two Super Cups and one Football Federation Cup to their honor roll.
Arkadag did finally lose a match in the 2024-25 AFC Challenge League against Kuwaiti side Al Arabi, ending a 61-game winning streak, but they still went on to lift the trophy in their first season in continental competition.
In this season’s AFC Champions League Two, Arkadag won one, drew four and lost one of their group stage matches. That earned them a round-of-16 meeting over two legs with star-studded Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
Even without their star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who at the time was boycotting his team’s matches because of his unhappiness with the PIF (Saudi Arabia’s sovereign investment fund) and the fund’s help for his club in the transfer window, Al Nassr still won 1-0 when they played the first leg in Turkmenistan on Feb. 11.
Ronaldo has now back in action, scoring just 18 minutes into his return in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Al Fateh, and is set to play the second leg against Arkadag in Riyadh on Feb. 18.
For all that he has achieved in his glittering career — five Champions Leagues, five Ballon d’Ors, nearly 1,000 goals — surely even Ronaldo has never come across a club that has never lost a domestic game in its entire existence?
The club known as JDT has won 11 consecutive league titles in Malaysia, establishing a level of dominance never previously seen in the Southeast Asian country. Before JDT’s current run, no Malaysian side had ever won the championship more than three times in a row since its inception in 1982.
Owned by royalty — the Crown Prince of Johor — JDT have superior finances and facilities, allowing the club to attract the best talent in the region and a healthy contingent of foreigners.
Despite their domestic supremacy, JDT remain the second-most-supported club in Malaysia after Premier League giants Manchester United — that might be the one title they can’t win.
The team from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, have notched up 12 straight titles. The club, whose name means “Independence,” has some powerful backers, as it was co-founded by the heir apparent to the president of Tajikistan. Are you noticing a theme here?
Rustam Emomali — the son of Emomali, Tajik leader since 1994 — has also played as a striker and served as team captain for Istiklol. The Lions won the league in 2010 and 2011 with Emomali playing up front. At the age of 24, he then stepped back to become head of the Tajikistan Football Federation.
Ludogorets share the European record of consecutive titles with Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) and Skonto Riga (Latvia), having racked up their 14th straight triumph last season.
Hailing from Bulgaria’s 27th largest settlement, Razgrad, Ludogorets owe their success to the investment of Kiril Domuschiev, a pharmaceuticals entrepreneur who became Bulgaria’s first billionaire. Formerly a small club, the Eagles didn’t look back once they reached the top flight in 2011, immediately winning a league and cup double and beginning an era of dominance.
This season might finally see an end to Ludogorets’ superiority as they sit seven points behind leaders Levski Sofia. But, with the top four then competing in a playoff for the title, don’t write them off just yet.
It is a quirky piece of trivia, and one that causes much consternation, that the most successful team in the Welsh football league system is based in England. Welsh side Llansantffraid FC adopted the much-derided corporate name Total Network Solutions before merging with Oswestry Town in 2003 and deciding to base just over the English border in Oswestry under the name The New Saints (TNS).
Enjoying unprecedented investment for the Welsh league and creating the only full-time squad, TNS have won a record 17 Cymru Premier titles. They even claimed to have set a Guinness World Record for consecutive wins in February 2024, briefly engaging in an unlikely feud with Saudi side Al Hilal, before it emerged that one of their victories was via a penalty shootout that rendered their claim ineligible.
Sheriff Tiraspol aren’t actually the reigning champions of Moldova and in some people’s eyes, they aren’t even part of Moldova. However, their name has become synonymous with Moldovan success over the last 20 years.
Hailing from Transnistria, a de facto independent state at the center of a frozen conflict, Sheriff have won 21 league titles in Moldova since 2000-01. They were dethroned last season despite going through the whole campaign unbeaten due to the odd system employed by the Moldovan Liga which involves a final five-team group after the main league stage.
Nevertheless, the Wasps — whose president, Viktor Gushan, is a former KGB officer — remain a force to be reckoned with and became the first Moldovan side to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2021-22, when they stunned Real Madrid with a 2-1 win at the Bernabéu.
Plus, as almost everything in Transnistria is owned by the Sheriff group, they are one of few football clubs to boast their own brand of vodka — essential for a cold midweek game in Tiraspol.
