Manila Digger

Foundation and early years (2018–2022)

Manila Digger's foundation can be traced back in 2017 when a community of Chinese migrants in Manila who were working and studying in the Philippines formed an amateur football club. In 2018, a group led by Chinese investor Sha Shuo splintered from this amateur team over internal disagreements to form Manila Digger Football Club. The team was named "digger" to reflect the Chinese founders' aspiration to make a good living in the country.

Manila Digger competed in the weekend amateur leagues during its early years playing both in the standard 11-a-side and the 7-a-side formats. A women's team was also formed. Originally an all-Chinese team, Manila Digger began recruiting Filipinos and non-Chinese foreigners.

Entry to the top flight division (2017–2024)

Manila Digger began their journey in professional football in the 2023 edition of the Copa Paulino Alcantara. They did not advanced from the group stage.

The club then earned a license on 17 January 2024 as documented on Sha's Bilibili account "Caogen Zuqiu Jingli" (Chinese: 草根足球经理, lit. 'Grassroots Football Manager') where he paid the relevant registration fee, for his club be eligible to compete in the Philippines Football League (PFL). The account was used to build a fanbase for Manila Digger.

Manila Digger made their PFL debut in the 2024 season. In the leadup to their eventual debut in March, Sha and Diao Su recruited players through their personal connections with scouts and relied on informal methods such as leads the club got through social media. A WeChat fan group was also instrumental to Manila Digger's recruitment. Diao himself was also a player and became the first Chinese player to debut in the PFL in April 2024. The team finished eight out of fifteen teams in the league table.

During the 2024–25 season, Manila Digger fell one point away to eventual league champions Kaya–Iloilo, but nonetheless qualified for the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two qualifying play-off against Indonesian champions Persib Bandung. The club also participated in the Finals Series, beating One Taguig in the semi-final following a late goal from Ousman Gai in the 83rd minute winning 2–1. The club would eventually lose to Cebu 0–1 missing out on the ASEAN Club Championship.

First league title and continental breakthrough (2025–present)

On 13 August 2025, Manila Digger made their continental debut against Persib Bandung in the AFC Champions League Two qualification play-off round where they would eventually lose 2–1, but Modou Joof made history becoming the first Digger player to score in a continental competition.

Following AFC's continental competition format, Manila Digger qualified in the AFC Challenge League as the losers of the qualification play-off in AFC Champions League Two where they were drawn in group D, alongside Laotian club Ezra, Mongolian club SP Falcons and Cambodian club Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng. Manila Diggers manage to win 3–1 against Ezra, 2–0 against SP Falcons and a 2–2 draw against Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng thus seeing the team finishing as runners-up and qualifying to the knockout stages. In the quarter-finals, Manila Diggers faced off against Indonesian club Dewa United where they managed to defeat them 3–2 on aggregate thus advancing to the semi-finals. However in the next round against Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng, the club suffered a 4–1 on aggregated defeat thus knocking out from the competition.

2025–26 AFC Challenge League

On 26 October 2025, the club made history by winning their first AFC Challenge League match against Ezra 3–1, becoming the first Filipino side to win a match in the AFC competition since Ceres in 2014. Ousman Gai and Dilane Wamba scored in the first half and Baboucarr Touray would follow up a third goal for Manila Digger in the second half. Manila Digger would win their second match against Mongolian side SP Falcons 2–0 with a goal from Saikou Ceesay in the first half and then followed by a final goal by fellow Gambian compatriot Gai in the second half to finish off the game. Manila Digger qualified for the knockout stage. Manila Digger finished runners up in group D after drawing 2–2 against Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng. The club faced Indonesian Dewa United Banten in the knockout stage and hosted the first leg, where Manila Digger went on to win 1–0. Manila Digger would secure a 2–2 draw in Indonesia, winning on a 3–2 aggregate score to advance in the semi-finals, where they lost to Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng.

Manila Digger entered the 2025–26 Philippines Football League season seeking to establish itself among the leading clubs in Philippine football. The team finished first in the regular season before maintaining its position during the championship round. On 17 June 2026, Manila Digger secured its first PFL title after drawing 1–1 against One Taguig in its final match of the campaign. Manila Digger finished the championship round with 60 points from 25 matches, two points ahead of One Taguig, to claim its maiden top-flight championship. The club's attacking performance was led by Gambian Ousman Gai, who finished as the league's top scorer with 29 goals.