Best Team in Manchester: Have Man United or Man City Won More Trophies?

Given the enmity between the city of Manchester and that of Liverpool, it no doubt rankles supporters of both teams that it is Liverpool Football Club that sit at the top of the tree in terms of major trophies won by an English team. That doesn’t stop the Red Devils and the Cityzens for battling it out for supremacy in terms of being the best team in Manchester, however. Since the arrival of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008, there is little question that City have been the most successful. Yet football did exist before then, so Manchester United would no doubt claim supremacy in the long-term. The question is, which club has won more trophies?

Manchester United’s Trophy Haul

First things first, then, and a look at Manchester United’s trophy cabinet. The Red Devils were founded in 1878 as Newton Heath, not taking on their current moniker until 1902. In terms of major trophies, so not including the Charity Shield, the club sits just behind Liverpool as the second-most successful in the English game. Here is a look at how many trophies they have won in each of the major competitions at the time of writing:

The club’s success over the years means that they have won 48 major trophies all told. United fans would no doubt argue that the 21 Charity Shields, which later became the Community Shield, should also be included, but it doesn’t really count as a major trophy.

Manchester City’s Trophy Haul

Founded two years after Newton Heath as St. Mark’s (West Gorton), the club became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and then Manchester City seven years after that. The first major honour came thanks to an FA Cup win 12 years after they had been elected to the Football League. The majority of City’s time has been spent in the lower leagues, but their fates changed after the arrival of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Abu Dhabi United Group in the August of 2008. Since then, City have been the dominant force in English football, which is reflected in the trophy haul that you see here:

With 35 major trophies to their name, Manchester City aren’t too far behind Manchester United. United fans, of course, would no doubt point to the 115 charges levelled against their neighbours for alleged breaches of the Financial Fair Play rules, which they would say put an asterisk against all of the wins since the 2008 takeover. Unless and until something happens on that front, however, City will keep on winning trophies and chasing down that 48 trophy haul that their bitter rivals have to their name.

Which Team Has More Trophies?

It is Manchester United that lead the way on the trophy front, but don’t be surprised if Manchester City draw level with them before too long.