How do I find my API-Football (API-SPORTS) Key?

Log in to the [API-SPORTS Dashboard](https://dashboard.api-football.com/), navigate to the 'API-Key' section, and copy your unique token.

Does the API provide real-time updates?

Yes! The `list_live_fixtures` tool retrieves results from the real-time match engine of API-Football, covering goals, cards, and status updates as they happen.

Can I filter leagues by country?

Yes! Use the `list_leagues` tool and provide the `country` parameter (e.g., 'Brazil', 'England') to see only the competitions available in that specific region.

API-Football MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 8 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: API-Football
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 8 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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Classic Setup·json

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

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About API-Football MCP Server

Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your football tracking and fan engagement with API-Football, the premier API for global football data. By connecting API-Football to your agent, you transform complex fixture auditing, live score monitoring, and player statistical analysis into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly retrieve real-time results for over 1,000 leagues, access detailed standings, and even perform head-to-head comparisons between teams without you ever needing to navigate multiple sports apps or websites. Whether you are conducting a seasonal performance audit or coordinating real-time match alerts, your agent acts as a real-time sports data coordinator, providing accurate results from a single, authorized source.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings API-Football data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 8 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Live Orchestration — Retrieve real-time scores and match status for thousands of games across the globe.
Standings Auditing — Access comprehensive league tables and team rankings for major global competitions.
Fixture Management — Retrieve scheduled matches and fixture lists for specific dates and leagues.
Deep Metadata — Access detailed profile data for teams and players, including performance stats.
H2H Comparison — Perform historical head-to-head audits between any two teams to gauge competitive history.

The API-Football MCP Server exposes 8 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect API-Football to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the API-Football MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using API-Football

Ask Copilot: "Using API-Football, help me...". 8 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the API-Football MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with API-Football through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

API-Football + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the API-Football MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

API-Football MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (8)

These 8 tools become available when you connect API-Football to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

get_fixtures

List match fixtures

get_league_topscorers

Get top scorers

get_player_info

Get player statistics

get_standings

Get league standings

get_team_info

Get team details

list_leagues

List football leagues

list_live_fixtures

Get live matches

search_football_teams

Search for teams

Example Prompts for API-Football in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with API-Football immediately.

"Show me all live football matches in the Premier League (ID: 39)."

"Get the latest standings for the Brasileirão Serie A (ID: 71) season 2023."

"What is the H2H history between Flamengo (ID: 127) and Fluminense (ID: 124)?"

Troubleshooting API-Football MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting API-Football to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

API-Football + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating API-Football MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.