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Cusco Fútbol Club (known as Real Garcilaso until 2019), commonly known as Cusco, or Cusco FC, is a professional football club based in the city of Cusco, that currently competes in the Peruvian Primera División, the top tier of Peruvian football. It was founded on 28 August, 2008 as Real Garcilaso, changing their name to Cusco FC in 2019.
Cusco were runner-up of the Primera División three times in 2012, 2013, and 2017, and won the Segunda División in 2022, getting promoted after being relegated in 2021. They also won the Copa Perú in 2011. Cusco became one of the fastest clubs in Peru to reach the Primera División, doing so in only two years after its founding.
The teams home stadium is Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. They share the stadium with city rivals Cienciano and Deportivo Garcilaso, whom they compete with in the Clásico Cusqueño. It has a capacity of 45,036 and one of the largest stadiums in Peru. Cusco FC trains at the Complejo Deportivo Cusco FC located in Oropesa.
In its first year in the Segunda Distrital del Cusco, it was champion thus ascending to the Liga Distrital del Cusco. The first match of the light blue team was on September 6, 2009, defeating Cedecam World Vision 5-2. In this way, it could participate in the Copa Perú. During the year 2010 it was district, provincial, and departmental champion of Cusco. That same year, they reached the National Stage of the Copa Perú, where they were eliminated by Sportivo Huracán.
They began their journey in the 2011 Copa Perú from the Regional Stage, since the previous year they had been eliminated in the National Stage. In their group, they finished first and accessed the National Stage for the second time in their history. They reached all the way to the final of the tournament where they were crowned champions in Lima after defeating Pacífico 3-2 on aggregate. In this way, Real Garcilaso gained access to the Peruvian Primera División for the first time.
In 2012, the club opened its training ground and headquarters in the Oropreza District, becoming one of the few clubs in Peru to properly own their own training ground. According to the IFFHS club ranking, Real Garcilaso was the best Peruvian team between 2012 and 2013. Its position worldwide in 2013 was 103.
In 2013, They reached the final for the second year in a row and qualified for the 2014 Copa Libertadores after finishing as the top club during the tournament's first stage. In the Liguilla A, the club fought against Sporting Cristal for a spot in the finals which they played against Universitario. After winning at home and losing away, a third match was played in which they lost the play-offs 4–5 on penalties.
In the 2014 Copa Libertadores, according to Soccerly, Cruzeiro player Paulo César Fonseca do Nascimento (better known as Tinga) was subjected to racist abuse at the game against Real Garcilaso in Huancayo. The South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL) tweeted that they would “handle this situation and any pertinent sanctions.” The club ended up getting eliminated in the Group Stage.
In 2017, the club were runner-up again and qualified for the 2018 Copa Libertadores where they were eliminated in the Group Stage. The next year, the team qualified for the Copa libertadores again but were eliminated by Deportivo La Guaira in the qualifying stage. On 23 December 2019, Real Garcilaso announced its name change to Cusco Fútbol Club, better known as Cusco FC.
In the 2021 season, the team finished next to last and was relegated to the Liga 2. In the 2022 Liga 2 season, Cusco won the league and got promoted back to the Liga 1, where they currently still stand.
Cusco used to use a shield with a G in the middle and a crown on top from its foundation until 2020. The badge was very similar to that of Real Madrid CF. To avoid conflicts with Deportivo Garcilaso, another club from Cusco with a similar shield and name, it was decided to change the name and shield on January 19, 2020. The current shield has in the background the Incan Citadel Machu Picchu, the rising sun which was a deity of the Inca Empire and a gold ring where its name is found.
In June 2015, the club opened its sports complex in the Oropeza district, 25 km from the city of Cusco. The area has three football fields dedicated to training for the senior team and the minor divisions, and also has a covered area called Casa Dorada, which has gyms, a concentration area and a press and meeting area. With these works, the team joined the small number of clubs in Peru that have their own sports complex.
| National (League) ! scope=col | Primera División | — | 3 | — | 2012, 2013, 2017 |
| Half-year / Short tournament (League) ! scope=col | Torneo Apertura | — | 1 | — | 2017 |
| Regional (League) ! scope=col | Región VIII | 1 | 1 | 2011 | 2010 |
| 35 |
| 5 |
A = appearances, P = matches played, W = won, D = drawn, L = lost, GF = goals for, GA = goals against.
| 2013 | Copa Libertadores | Group Stage | Santa Fe | 1–1 | 0–2 | |
| Deportes Tolima | 0–3 | 1–0 | ||||
| Cerro Porteño | 5–1 | 1–0 | ||||
| R2 | Nacional | 1–0 | 0–1 (pen. 4–1) | |||
| QF | Santa Fe | 1–3 | 0–2 | |||
| 2014 | Copa Libertadores | Group Stage | Cruzeiro | 2–1 | 3–0 | |
| Defensor Sporting | 0–2 | 4–1 | ||||
| Universidad de Chile | 1–2 | 1–0 | ||||
| 2016 | Copa Sudamericana | First Stage | Aucas | 1–0 | 1–2 | |
| Second Stage | Palestino | 2–2 | 0–1 | |||
| 2018 | Copa Libertadores | Group Stage | Santos FC | 2–0 | 0–0 | |
| Estudiantes | 0–0 | 0–3 | ||||
| Nacional | 0–0 | 0–4 | ||||
| 2019 | Copa Libertadores | First Stage | Deportivo La Guaira | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
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