Hanoi FC

Foundation and rise

Hanoi FC was formed in 2006 as T&T Hanoi Football Club (Vietnamese: Câu lạc bộ bóng đá T&T Hà Nội) by T&T Group. The team initially played in the lowest division of Vietnamese football, the Third Division. In its first three years, under the management of former Vietnamese international Triệu Quang Hà, the team achieved consecutive promotions. They finished in 1st place in Third Division in 2006, 2nd place in Second Division in 2007, and 2nd place in First Division in 2008. These results secured the club's promotion to the 2009 V.League, Vietnam's top-tier football league.

Establishment of a new powerhouse (2009–2015)

Once the club established its foothold, Hà Nội T&T began to rapidly emerge as a strong contender and experienced success in its debut season in the top league. Although the club missed out on winning the 2009 season, they found joy the following year by clinching their first-ever league title in the 2010 season.

AFC Cup debut (2011)

In the 2011 AFC Cup, Hà Nội T&T made their debut in continental competition after winning the 2010 league title. Drawn in Group G alongside Thailand club Muangthong United, Singaporean club Tampines Rovers and Maldives club Victory SC, the club began its campaign with a 4–0 defeat to Muangthong United. Hà Nội T&T subsequently recorded a 2–0 home victory over Victory SC and drew 1–1 with Tampines Rovers. Despite later defeats to Tampines Rovers and a goalless draw against Muangthong United, the team concluded the group stage with a 1–0 away win over Victory SC. Hà Nội T&T finished third in the group with two wins, two draws and two defeats, accumulating eight points and failing to qualify for the knockout stage.

In the 2012 V-League season, Hà Nội T&T finished as runners-up. Their final league match against Xuân Thành Sài Gòn attracted controversy, with allegations that Hanoi T&T had played defensively to benefit SHB Đà Nẵng, another club owned by the same individual. Xuân Thành Sài Gòn's owner subsequently announced the club's dissolution.

Hà Nội T&T returned to the top of the league in the 2013 season, securing the 2013 V.League 1 league title with one round remaining after defeating Đồng Tâm Long An with 2–1 scoreline. Argentinian Gonzalo Marronkle and Hoàng Vũ Samson scored 28 goals combined and shared the league's top-scorer award for that season.

Hà Nội T&T finished as runners-up in the 2014 V.League 1, behind champions Becamex Bình Dương. The club remained in contention for the title during the season, but ultimately missed out on first place. Their league campaign included a 6–4 victory over Than Quảng Ninh on 22 June 2012 and a 5–2 win against Thanh Hóa on the final matchday on 10 August 2014. Striker Hoàng Vũ Samson scored 23 goals to finish as the league's top scorer. Despite their strong attacking performances, Hà Nội T&T finished second in the standings and qualified for the following season's AFC Cup. Hà Nội T&T competed in the 2014 AFC Cup after being eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the 2014 AFC Champions League. The club was drawn in Group F alongside Indonesian club Arema, Malaysian club Selangor and the Maldivian club Maziya. Hà Nội T&T won five of their six group matches, including victories over Maziya, Arema and Selangor, to finish top of the group with 15 points. They scored 14 goals and advanced to the knockout stage as group winners. In the round of 16, Hà Nội T&T defeated Myanmar club Nay Pyi Taw 5–0 at home on 14 May, with Hoàng Vũ Samson scoring twice alongside goals from Hughton Hector, Thạch Bảo Khanh and Phạm Thành Lương. The victory sent the Vietnamese side into the quarter-finals, where they faced Iraqi club Erbil. Hà Nội T&T lost the first leg 1–0 at home on 19 August and were beaten 2–0 in the return leg on 26 August, resulting in a 3–0 aggregate defeat. Their campaign therefore ended in the quarter-finals, matching their progress to that stage of the competition.

Domestic dominance (2016–2022)

The 2016 season, which marked the 10th anniversary of the capital club, saw significant changes for Hà Nội T&T, including two coaching changes. The first occurred just a week before the season when coach Phan Thanh Hưng resigned. He was replaced by Phạm Minh Đức, the coach of the Hà Nội T&T U21 team at the time. However, Phạm Minh Đức's tenure began poorly, with the team earning only 1 point from the first 4 matches and sitting at the bottom of the table. On 17 March 2016, the team decided to replace Phạm Minh Đức with assistant coach Chu Đình Nghiêm. This change led to a remarkable improvement in gameplay and results, allowing the team to rise steadily up the table with only 2 rounds remaining. In the penultimate round, needing a win to keep their championship hopes alive, Hà Nội T&T secured all 3 points with a 1–0 victory over Than Quảng Ninh, thanks to a goal from Nguyễn Văn Quyết. This result gave the club the control over their own destiny in the final match. A 2–0 victory over Thanh Hóa, featuring a brace from Gonzalo Marronkle, allowed Hà Nội T&T to win the V-League championship for the third time, finishing just above Hai Phong on goal difference. However, in the 2016 Vietnamese Cup, the team finished as runners-up after a narrow 1–2 lost to Than Quảng Ninh.

At the end of 2016, shortly after winning the V-League title, T&T Group decided to dedicate the club to the people of Hanoi, withdrawing its stake and officially renaming the club Hanoi Football Club. The City Council also decided to grant Hàng Đẫy Stadium to the club as a tribute, allowing the team to use and improve the facilities.