A works team (sometimes factory team) is a sports team that is financed and run by a manufacturer or other business. Sometimes, works teams contain or are entirely made up of employees of the supporting company.
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A number of works teams were founded in the former Portuguese territory of Mozambique that still are currently major teams in that Portuguese-speaking African country (independent since 1975). Grupo Desportivo da Companhia Têxtil do Punguè and Textáfrica do Chimoio are examples of two works teams which were the teams of two textile companies. In addition, two major teams of the railway network achieved also notoriety - the Clube Ferroviário de Maputo and the Clube Ferroviário da Beira.
Works teams are common in Japan, with several J-League clubs starting life as such (e.g., Yokohama F. Marinos, who were originally Nissan F.C.). Modern examples include Honda F.C., Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima and Sagawa Printing. The maximum league Japanese works teams can compete in is the Japan Football League, the de facto national third division; the J. League specifically bars works teams from its ranks unless they professionalize and adopt the community they play in as a source of fan support.
European former works teams include those of PSV Eindhoven (Philips), FC Sochaux-Montbéliard (Peugeot), Bayer Leverkusen (Bayer), VFL Wolfsburg (Volkswagen) and FC Carl Zeiss Jena (Zeiss).
The Portuguese conglomerate Companhia União Fabril (CUF) had also its own sports club, founded as a truly works team in 1937. It was located in the Lisbon's industrial suburb of Barreiro, and was called Grupo Desportivo da CUF. The club, which was a major contender in the main Portuguese Football Championship, was disbanded and replaced by G.D. Fabril due to a military coup in 1974.
Several professional football clubs in the United Kingdom were also formed as works teams, including Manchester United (the team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath) and Livingston (formerly Ferranti Thistle). A few (semi-professional) retain their companies' names, including Airbus UK, Cammell Laird and Vauxhall Motors.
Several Argentinan clubs began life as the works teams of British-owned railway companies, including Rosario Central, Talleres de Córdoba, Ferro Carril Oeste, Club Ferrocarril Midland and Club Atlético Central Córdoba.
In motorsports, works teams are factory-backed, and drivers are called works drivers.
In rugby union, works teams are usually found in Asia. The Top League in Japan features teams such as Suntory Sungoliath, Toyota Verblitz and IBM Big Blue. Samsung has a team in the Korean league.