The top 9 biggest EFL League One clubs based on trophies won | OneFootball

FLW has ranked the biggest EFL League One clubs based on the number of trophies and honours in their history, including Leicester City...

League One has to be regarded as one of the most exciting divisions in English football, and the 2026/27 campaign is no different with the size of the biggest clubs expected to compete and the smallest expected to struggle.

That is not always the case, however, and Stevenage achieved their highest finish in the football pyramid after securing a play-off place last term. Also, despite the departures of Bolton Wanderers and Cardiff City following their promotions last season — two clubs that would have featured prominently in any ranking based on major honours — the third tier remains packed with huge and historic clubs.

Many former top-flight sides, FA Cup winners, and clubs with rich footballing tradition are in the lineup for 2026/27. No fewer than 10 teams in League One, if we include AFC Wimbledon, have also featured in the Premier League since 1992 as well. However, there is absolutely no shortage of silverware among League One's current membership.

Several clubs have enjoyed glory on the biggest domestic stages, while others can trace their achievements back more than a century. With that in mind, we've ranked the biggest current League One clubs based solely on the trophies they have won throughout their histories, placing prestige ahead of quantity when separating those with similar honours records.

Why Blackpool, Reading and Wimbledon have been omitted

Before we get into the ranking, a handful of current League One clubs have been excluded from this ranking despite having notable honours on their record. Blackpool, for example, enjoyed one of the most famous periods in English football history during the Stanley Matthews era and won the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1971.

Reading, meanwhile, lifted the Full Members' Cup in 1988 and have also enjoyed considerable success in league competition, most notably their record-breaking Championship title-winning campaign in 2005/06. Wimbledon present an even more unique case. The Dons famously shocked Liverpool to win the 1988 FA Cup, one of the greatest giant-killings English football has ever witnessed.

However, the club's relocation and subsequent reformation means there remains ongoing debate regarding where that triumph belongs. Some supporters view AFC Wimbledon as the continuation of the original club's history, while others point to MK Dons' legal claim to Wimbledon FC's records.

Given that uncertainty, Wimbledon have been excluded from the ranking altogether, despite possessing a trophy haul that would ordinarily warrant serious consideration. Thus, we can now look at the rankings.

7 ? ? Barnsley, Bradford City, Notts County (1)

At the bottom of the ranking are three clubs who share a place thanks to one common achievement: all have lifted the FA Cup. While none can match the sustained success enjoyed by the clubs higher on this list, winning English football's most famous knockout competition remains a significant accomplishment regardless of the era in which it was achieved.

Notts County were the first of the trio to triumph, winning the FA Cup in 1894 and cementing their status as one of the oldest and most historic clubs in the world. Bradford City followed in 1911, defeating Newcastle United after a replay in what remains the club's greatest achievement. Just a year later, Barnsley etched their own name into the history books by lifting the trophy in 1912 after overcoming West Bromwich Albion.

Although all three clubs have experienced contrasting fortunes since those successes, their FA Cup victories ensure they remain part of an exclusive group of clubs to have won one of the game's most prestigious honours. In a division where silverware of that calibre is rare, each deserves recognition among League One's most successful teams.

6 ? ? Oxford United (1)

Oxford United may not boast the extensive trophy cabinet of some clubs higher on this list, but their place among League One's most decorated sides is secured thanks to a remarkable period during the 1980s. We have weighted recent victories higher and the U's enjoyed a rapid rise through the divisions under Jim Smith and Maurice Evans, climbing from the lower reaches of the Football League to the First Division in the space of just a few years.

Their greatest achievement arrived in 1986 when they defeated Queens Park Rangers 3-0 at Wembley to win the League Cup. For a club of Oxford's size, lifting one of English football's major domestic trophies remains an extraordinary accomplishment and is a feat that many larger clubs have never managed. The triumph also earned the club qualification for European competition, although the ban on English clubs in Europe prevented them from taking part.

While Oxford have spent much of the subsequent decades outside the top flight, that League Cup success remains one of the standout achievements among current League One clubs. Due to the fact it was not in the late 1800s or early 1900s, it ensures the U's deserve their place towards the top end of this ranking.

5 ? ? Luton Town (1)

Not long after Oxford, Luton Town's greatest achievement arrived in 1988 when they stunned Arsenal to win the League Cup at Wembley. It remains the most significant trophy won by any current League One club outside the division's most decorated sides and stands as one of the finest moments in the Hatters' history.

That success came during a golden era for the club. Luton were an established First Division side throughout much of the 1980s and regularly competed against English football's biggest names. The League Cup triumph remains a source of immense pride for supporters and gives the club a place among the more successful teams currently operating in the third tier.

What perhaps makes Luton's story even more remarkable is their recovery from years of decline. After dropping out of the Football League entirely in 2009, the Hatters embarked on an extraordinary rise through the divisions, eventually reaching the Premier League in 2023. Few clubs can match the resilience shown by Luton over the past few decades, with Town back in League One now as well.

4 ? ? Wigan Athletic (1)

Wigan Athletic occupy fourth place largely thanks to one unforgettable afternoon in the modern era of English football back in May 2013. Against overwhelming odds, Roberto Martinez's side defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup final, with Ben Watson's dramatic late header securing the first major trophy in the club's history.

The achievement remains one of the biggest shocks English football has witnessed. At the time, Wigan became only the second club outside the traditional elite (after Portsmouth) to win the competition in the Premier League era. That FA Cup success was particularly remarkable given the club's relatively short history at the highest level.

Having spent decades outside the Football League, Wigan climbed from the lower reaches of the pyramid to the Premier League in little more than a generation under the ownership of Dave Whelan. Although relegation followed just days after their Wembley triumph, the FA Cup victory permanently altered perceptions of the club. The fact it's so recent ranks them the highest outside of three dominant clubs.

3 ? ? Huddersfield Town (5)

Modern supporters may associate Huddersfield Town as some sort of underdog after their Premier League stint under David Wagner, but the Terriers are actually one of the most successful clubs in English football history. Their golden period during the 1920s saw them become the first club ever to win three consecutive First Division titles, a feat later matched only by some of the country's biggest names.

Between 1923 and 1926, Huddersfield dominated English football under the influence of Herbert Chapman (pictured above), laying foundations that would later help establish him as one of the sport's most influential managers. They also lifted the FA Cup in 1922 and added a Charity Shield to their collection, creating a trophy haul that comfortably surpasses most current League One clubs.

The Terriers' achievements are often overlooked because so much of their success came before the Second World War. However, three top-flight titles remain an extraordinary accomplishment and place Huddersfield among an exclusive group of clubs. Despite spending much of the modern era outside the elite, their historical achievements ensure they remain one of the division's genuine sleeping giants.

2 ? ? Leicester City (7)

Leicester City's rise from Championship regulars to Premier League champions is one of the greatest sporting stories ever told. The Foxes secured their place in football folklore during the 2015/16 season when Claudio Ranieri's side defied odds that many believed impossible and lifted the Premier League title.

That triumph alone would guarantee Leicester a prominent place in this ranking, but it is far from their only major honour. The club have also won the FA Cup, three League Cups, and two Community Shields, making them one of the most decorated teams currently outside the Premier League.

Leicester's success is particularly impressive because much of it has arrived during the modern era, when financial disparities have made it increasingly difficult for clubs outside the established elite to win major trophies. Their FA Cup victory in 2021 further strengthened their reputation as one of English football's modern success stories. They are a giant of the third tier and it's incredible that they are even playing football at this level in 2026/27.

1 ? ? Sheffield Wednesday (10)

No current League One club can rival Sheffield Wednesday when it comes to silverware. The Owls boast one of the richest histories in English football, having won four First Division titles, three FA Cups, and a League Cup across their illustrious existence. After they were founded in the nineteenth century, Wednesday were one of the dominant forces of English football during the early decades of the professional game.

Their league titles arrived in 1903, 1904, 1929, and 1930, while FA Cup victories came in 1896, 1907, and 1935. The club's most recent major honour came in 1991 when they defeated Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United to win the League Cup as a second-tier side. It was and is a remarkable achievement that remains one of Wembley’s great underdog stories.

While supporters have endured plenty of frustration in recent decades, Sheffield Wednesday's historical standing is beyond question. Few clubs outside the Premier League possess such a decorated record, and among current League One sides they comfortably sit at the summit. Their trophy haul and long-standing place within English football make them the division's biggest club when judged by honours won.