FC Arda 1924 Kardzhali is a professional Bulgarian football club based in Kardzhali that competes in the 'First League,' the highest tier of the Bulgarian football league system.
It was founded on October 13, 1924, as the football branch of a major local sports society. The club was re-established in 2015 after its previous iteration had been dissolved.
Named after the Arda River—a tributary of the Maritsa—the club plays its home matches at 'Arena Arda' in Kardzhali, which has a seating capacity of 15,000. For much of its history, the club has regularly competed in the 'Second League,' with its best finish being a second-place ranking during the 1955–56 season. In the Bulgarian Cup, Arda reached the final once, in 2021, where they were defeated by CSKA Sofia.
The Arda Kardzhali team in 2021 In the 2018–19 season, Arda won the Second League promotion play-off against Septemvri Sofia, thereby reaching the Bulgarian top division for the first time.
