Kuala Lumpur had its most successful period in the late 1980s when they won the national league twice, in 1986 and 1988. They also won the
Malaysia Cup for three consecutive years (1987, 1988 and 1989). The team enjoyed considerable success in cup competitions in the 1990s, winning the
Malaysian FA Cup in 1993, 1994 and 1999. Kuala Lumpur later ended a seven-year absence from the top flight when the club promoted to the
2010 Malaysia Super League to keep the team number balanced after
Kuala Muda Naza and
UPB-MyTeam withdrew. However, after two seasons, the club were relegated to the
Malaysia Premier League in 2012 and the following year, in 2013, they were relegated once more to the
Malaysia FAM League, marking their first appearance in the third tier. After spending three seasons in the lower division, Kuala Lumpur won the
2017 Malaysia Premier League title and earned promotion back to the top flight. In the
2019 Malaysia Super League, Kuala Lumpur finished dead last and suffered relegation once again. However, the club bounced back in
2020, finishing third in the Malaysia Premier League and earning promotion back to the top flight, as
Terengganu II, who finished second, were a reserve team and therefore ineligible for promotion, despite the season being shortened due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, the club was privatized in accordance to the privatization process by the
Football Association of Malaysia and was renamed as Kuala Lumpur United. In December 2020,
Stanley Bernard was named the new CEO of the club. In March 2021, prior to the
2021 Malaysia Super League season, the team changed its name to Kuala Lumpur City. During the same season, Kuala Lumpur City defeated
Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–0 in the final of the
2021 Malaysia Cup, winning the cup for the first time in 32 years. As the reigning Malaysia Cup champions, Kuala Lumpur City participated in the
AFC Cup for the first time in their history. The club enjoyed a historic run in the competition, winning the ASEAN Zone after defeating
PSM Makassar 5–2 in the final. They subsequently advanced to the inter-zone knockout stage and reached the
2022 AFC Cup final, where they were defeated 3–0 by
Al-Seeb of Oman at the
Bukit Jalil National Stadium. It was the first time Kuala Lumpur City had reached a continental final, and they became only the second Malaysian club to do so. In February 2023, Rinani Group Berhad acquired a majority stake in the club. ==Players==