Bali United

Formation and early years (2015–2016)

Bali United was established on 14 February 2015 following the acquisition of Putra Samarinda by Indonesian businessman Pieter Tanuri. The club relocated from East Kalimantan, to Gianyar, Bali, and adopted the name Bali United. The club then first appointed Indra Sjafri as the club head coach, who formerly was the Indonesia national U19 team head coach. Under his leadership, Bali United focused on developing young players, bringing several U19 national team players into the top flight.

The club made its debut in the 2015 Indonesia Super League, playing its first match on 4 April 2015, a 2–1 away lost to Perseru Serui, with Lerby Eliandry scoring the team's first competitive goal. However, the season was discontinued after only two matches due to a conflict between the Indonesian government and PSSI, which ultimately led to a FIFA suspension of Indonesian football.

Bali United completed their first full season in the 2016 Indonesia Soccer Championship A, a temporary league organized to replace the suspended Indonesia Super League. The club finished 12th out of 18 teams, a respectable result for a newly relocated and rebranded club.

First title challenge and continental debut (2017–2018)

In 2017, during the inaugural season of the revamp Liga 1, Bali United struggled in their first two matches under Austrian head coach Hans-Peter Schaller, who was subsequently sacked. Widodo Cahyono Putro, former Indonesian national team player, took over as the coach and led the team to compete for the title. Under Widodo, the team improved significantly and emerged as a contender for the league title. Bali United finished the season as runners-up, level on points with champions Bhayangkara on 68 points but lose out under the competition's head-to-head tiebreaking rules. The club scored 76 goals in 34 league matches, making it the league's most productive attacking team. Dutch forward Sylvano Comvalius scored 37 goals, setting a record for the most goals scored by a player in a single top flight league season. The campaign established Bali United as one of the leading clubs in Indonesian football and earned it qualification for continental competition.

Following their domestic success, Bali United qualified for the AFC competitions for the first time in 2018. They made their AFC Champions League debut on 16 January 2018 with a 3–1 win over Tampines Rovers in the preliminary stage round 1, but were eliminated in the second preliminary round by Chiangrai United. In the AFC Cup, the club finished fourth in the group stage. Domestically, Bali United struggled in Liga 1, finishing the season in 11th place.

The club also struggled domestically, finishing 11th in Liga 1 after its runner-up campaign the previous year. On 29 November 2018, Widodo Cahyono Putro resigned as head coach. The club cited personal reasons relating to his coaching career, including preparations for the AFC Pro coaching licence, while media reports also referred to contractual and internal issues. His departure ended the period in which Bali United had first established itself as a title contender.

First major silverware (2019)

Bali United appointed Brazillian head coach, Stefano Cugurra ahead of the 2019 season. Under Cugurra, the club maintained a consistent league campaign and secured its first Liga 1 league title on 2 December 2019, after a draw between Borneo and PSM Makassar confirmed their position as champions. Bali United finished the season with 64 points from 34 matches, recording 19 wins, seven draws and eight defeats. The club set a record for being the fastest to win the Liga 1 title since the competition adopted its current name, as well as achieving the largest points gap over the runner-up. The championship represented the club's first major league title since its establishment in Bali. In the same year, the club became publicly listed through its parent company, PT Bali Bintang Sejahtera Tbk, marking a significant development in its commercial structure.

Bali United began the 2020 season as defending champions and participated in the opening matches of Liga 1. However, the competition was suspended in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia and was subsequently cancelled without a champion. The interruption also affected the club's preparations for domestic and continental competitions.

Second league title

When Liga 1 resumed for the 2021–22 season, Bali United continued under Cugurra and successfully defended its championship. The team finished as champions with 75 points from 34 matches, recording 23 wins, six draws and five defeats. The title made Bali United the first club to win consecutive Liga 1 championships, following its 2019 triumph and the cancellation of the 2020 season. The achievement established the club as one of the most successful teams of the competition's modern era.

Following its consecutive championships, Bali United continued competing in Liga 1 and in Asian club competitions. The club finished fifth in the 2022–23 league season, ending its immediate run of title-winning campaigns. It scored 67 goals in 34 matches, although defensive inconsistency prevented it from mounting another sustained challenge for the championship.

The following 2023–24 season saw the introduction of a Championship Series format for the top four teams, in which Bali United finished fourth after losses to Persib in the semifinals and Borneo Samarinda in the third‑place playoff, despite finishing third in the regular series standings.

During the 2024–25 Liga 1 season, Bali United faced challenges, including multiple defeats and injuries, and spent much of the campaign outside the top positions. Amid this difficult period, Cugurra announced his intention to resign, stating he had reached a point where he felt he had contributed his maximum to the club after several years in charge. He continued to lead the team through the end of the season and received a formal farewell from the club following their final home match.