Xankəndi FK

Khankendi returned to Azerbaijani control. Xankəndi FK was set up in September 2024 to give the city professional football again.

The club spent its opening seasons on borrowed grass, at the Shamakhi Olympic Complex and at the Palms Sports Arena in Baku. That changed in July 2026, when the club signed an agreement with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to start hosting matches at the 15,000-seat Xankəndi Stadium.

On the pitch the club has not stopped winning. It took the Regional League in May 2025, beating Shirvan 3–0 in the final, then went through the Second League a year later, finishing top with 76 points from 27 matches and earning a second straight promotion, this time into the Birinci Dəstə. Zaur Hacıyev took over as head coach in January 2026, with founding coach İbrahim Uzundza moving across to run the academy's youth football.

The blue-and-red striped kit has caused more trouble than any opponent. Its resemblance to Barcelona's shirt was close enough that a match against Şəmkir in March 2026 was called off over a colour clash between the two sides, after the club had already had a set of unnumbered shirts rejected by officials.

Two promotions in two seasons have taken Xankəndi FK from a standing start to the country's third tier.