How to Use the API-Football MCP in Claude Code

Q: Is API-Football output from Claude Code easy to parse?

It returns standard JSON. You can pipe the output into jq or any other shell tool to parse the results exactly how you want.

Claude Code brings API-Football data into your CLI for automated terminal workflows.

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Connect API-Football MCP to Claude Code

Create your Vinkius account to connect API-Football to Claude Code and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup API-Football with Claude Code

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Claude Code lists leagues via CLI

Run `list_leagues` from your terminal to get the full registry of available competitions. It outputs the data directly to your shell for quick filtering. You can pipe this output into other scripts to build custom reports. It turns your terminal into a data terminal for sports info.

Automate match monitoring with Claude Code

Schedule a cron job that uses `list_live_fixtures` to check for active games. Claude Code executes the tool and prints the status to your logs. This is meant for backend devs who need to monitor status without a UI. It keeps your CI/CD pipelines informed of current game states.

This MCP Server provides headless data

Since this MCP Server operates without a GUI, it is perfect for headless environments. You can run it in a container and get clean JSON output every time. It handles the authentication handshake for you. You just focus on writing the command that gets the specific fixture or team info you need.

Setup guide

Set up API-Football MCP in Claude Code

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Run the add command

Open your terminal and run the command shown on the right. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com. Use --scope user to make it available across all projects.
2

Verify the connection

Start a Claude Code session and type /mcp to list connected servers. You should see api-football-mcp with a green status indicator.
3

Start using tools

Ask Claude Code something like "Check my latest API-Football transactions." It will automatically discover and invoke the available API-Football tools.

Terminal

claude mcp add --transport http api-football-mcp https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

Get your connection token →

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open the config file

Create or edit .mcp.json in your project root for project-level scope, or ~/.claude.json for user-level scope.
2

Add the API-Football MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Code

Start a new Claude Code session. Type /mcp to confirm the server is connected. The tools will be automatically available in your conversation.

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "api-football-mcp": {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by API-Football. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about API-Football MCP in Claude Code

Use the command line to add the server by running the add command with the transport flag. It saves the config so you can use the tools immediately.

It does, provided you have the server URL accessible from within the container. It acts as a standard client for all eight tools.

It returns standard JSON. You can pipe the output into `jq` or any other shell tool to parse the results exactly how you want.

You can include the tool calls in your scripts. It is designed for non-interactive execution where you need data for automated checks.

The server runs as a local process. Your match data stays on your machine or within your infrastructure, never leaving your control.

Use it with your favorite AI tools

Connect this server to Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and more.

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