Villarreal Club de Fútbol was founded on 10 March 1923 in the small town of Vila-real in the province of Castellón, on Spain's eastern coast. It plays at the Estadio de la Cerámica, a compact ground of around 23,000 seats named after the tile industry that sustains the local economy.

The club spent decades in the lower divisions before reaching La Liga in 1998, and it has since become a striking example of a small club succeeding at the highest level. Its best league finish was second place in 2007-08, and it reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2006 and again in 2022. Villarreal won the UEFA Intertoto Cup twice and claimed its first major honour in 2021, beating Manchester United on penalties in the Europa League final under Unai Emery. The club competes in La Liga.