The club was created on April 12, 1957, with the merger between four local sports clubs:
Grupo de Foot-Ball Operário Vilafranquense,
Águia Sport Club Vilafranquense,
Hóquei Clube Vilafranquense and
Ginásio Vilafranquense. In the
2016–17 Taça de Portugal, Vilafranquense defeated
G.S. Loures,
Vilaverdense F.C. and
G.D. Vitória de Sernache to reach a fourth-round tie at home to
F.C. Paços de Ferreira of the
Primeira Liga. They beat the top-flight team 1–0 on 20 November, with a goal by
Marocas. In the next round (last 16), they lost by the same score at
Vitória S.C., also of the Primeira. In the
2018–19 Campeonato de Portugal, Vilafranquense came second in Serie C behind
U.D. Leiria. In the play-offs, they dispatched
Lusitânia F.C. and then Leiria on penalties to win promotion. This was the club's first time in a national second division. On 23 June in the final at the
Estádio Nacional against
Casa Pia A.C., the club drew 2–2 then lost 4–2 on penalties. Due to the inadequate facilities of their Campo do Cevadeiro, Vilafranquense had to play their LigaPro home games 50 kilometres away at the
Estádio Municipal in
Rio Maior. At end of 2022–23 season, UD Vilafranquense (club) and Vilafranquense SAD went their separate ways, the SAD relocate to Aves and became a new club,
AVS Futebol SAD from 2023 to 2024, maintaining their place in the
Liga Portugal 2, while UD Vilafranquense (club) restarted in the 3rd division of
Lisbon Football Association, equivalent to the 7th Portuguese division, similar to what happened to
C.F. Os Belenenses years before. ==References==