The Parisians won their first major title, theCoupe de France, in 1982 and their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. The 1990s were one of the most successful periods in the club's history, with their second league title in 1994 and their first European trophy, theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup in1996. After a decline in fortunes during the 2000s, a recovery began in the 2010s when they were acquired byQatar Sports Investments. With significant investment, PSG won multiple league titles and national cups, becoming a regular in theUEFA Champions League. They won their first Champions League in2025 as part of acontinental treble.
PSG have won 52 domestic trophies: a record 13Ligue 1 titles, oneLigue 2 title, a record 16 Coupe de France, a record 9Coupe de la Ligue, and a record 13Trophée des Champions. Internationally, they have won four trophies: the Champions League in 2025, becoming the second French club to win the title; the Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, becoming the only French team to do so; theUEFA Intertoto Cup in2001; and theUEFA Super Cup in2025, becoming the first French side to win this competition. PSG are one of two French clubs to have won amajor European title and the first to win the continental treble.
Since 2011, PSG have been majority-owned by Qatari government-backed investment fund Qatar Sports Investments, which held 87.5% of the shares by 2012 while American investment firm Arctos Partners owned the remaining 12.5%. PSG are the richest club in France and one of the wealthiest in the world. In January 2025, PSG had thethird-highest revenue in the footballing world with annual earnings of €806m according toDeloitte, and werethe world's seventh-most valuable football club, worth $4.4bn according toForbes.
PSG regained prominence thanks to the Qatari takeover in 2011 and high-profile signings such asNeymar.
Paris Saint-Germain were founded in 1970 following the merger ofParis FC andStade Saint-Germain. PSG made an immediate impact, winningLigue 2 and thus achieving promotion toLigue 1 in their first season. Their momentum was soon halted, and the club split in 1972. Paris FC remained in the top flight, while PSG were relegated toDivision 3. After two consecutive promotions, PSG quickly returned to the top flight in 1974 and moved to theParc des Princes.[1][2][3][4][5]
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Parisians were struggling to get back to the top despite the magic ofRonaldinho and the goals ofPauleta. Five more trophies followed: three Coupe de France, aCoupe de la Ligue and aUEFA Intertoto Cup, but PSG became better known for struggling through one crisis after another. Inevitably, Canal+ sold the club toColony Capital in 2006. However, the situation only worsened, and PSG spent the next two seasons avoiding relegation.[2][3][4][5]
Since their foundation, Paris Saint-Germain have represented both the city ofParis and the nearby royal town ofSaint-Germain-en-Laye.[5] As a result, red, blue and white are the club's traditional colours.[10] The red and blue are Parisian colours, a nod to revolutionary figuresLafayette andJean Sylvain Bailly, and the white is a symbol ofFrench royalty and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[10][11]
On the club's crest, theEiffel Tower in red and the blue background represent Paris, while thefleur de lys in white is a hint to thecoat of arms of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[10][11] The fleur de lys is a royal symbol as well and recalls that French KingLouis XIV was born in the town.[10] Throughout its history, PSG have brandished several crests, but all of them have featured the club's three historical colours.[12]
Likewise, PSG's most distinctive shirts have been predominantly red, blue or white, with the remaining two colours included as well.[13] The club's official mascot, Germain theLynx, also sports PSG's traditional colours.[11] It was unveiled during the 2010Tournoi de Paris in commemoration of the club's 40th anniversary, and can be seen entertaining kids in the stands of theParc des Princes or near the pitch with the players during the warm-up.[14]
"Allez Paris!", recorded by Belgian actress and singer Annie Cordy in 1971, was the club's first official anthem. A PSG fan from the very beginning, she was part of an association of hundreds of celebrities who contributed to the club's founding in 1970. At the time, an appeal was made to anonymous people to buy season tickets at newsstands. A year later, Cordy was named PSG's official godmother and recorded the aforementioned anthem.[15][16]
The club's second anthem, "Allez Paris-Saint-Germain!" by Les Parisiens, was recorded in 1977, replacing Cordy's version. It was produced and released by long-time PSG leader and music producer Charles Talar.[17][18][19] The chorus became a popular chant among PSG fans during matches.[20] A new version, with the same name, was recorded in 2010 as part of the club's 40th anniversary celebrations. Performed to the tune of "Go West" by the Village People, the lyrics were rewritten with suggestions from the fans. This is the current official anthem of the club.[18][14][11] It was premiered at the 2010 edition of theTournoi de Paris.[14]
"Ô Ville Lumière", set to the tune of "Flower of Scotland", is another authentic club anthem for PSG fans.[21][22] This chant was created by former KoB ultra group Boulogne Boys.[23] Other notable chants include "Le Parc est à nous" ("The Parc is ours"), "Ici, c'est Paris" ("This is Paris"), and "Paris est magique" ("Paris is magical").[24][25][20] "Who Said I Would" by English musicianPhil Collins is also a traditional fan anthem. The song has accompanied the players' entrance onto the field since 1992. Collins was preceded by French singerMichel Fugain and his 1972 song "Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen".[26]
"Ici, c'est Paris" and "Paris est magique" are also the club's most iconic mottos.[27][11][28] The former was created by former VA ultra group Supras Auteuil, who trademarked it in 2008.[25][29] PSG started using the "Ici, c'est Paris" slogan in their marketing and a legal battle ensued with the Supras. In February 2016, the group rejected the club's offer of €2,000 for the ownership rights.[25] They eventually reached an agreement in August 2019. The club would continue advertising the slogan, and fans would still be able to use it freely.[30]
For its first three seasons, Paris Saint-Germain's home shirt was red with blue and white detailing on the sleeves and collar to unify the club's three colours: the red and blue ofParis and the white ofSaint-Germain-en-Laye.[13][31] During the 2010–11 season, PSG wore a red shirt for home matches to mark its 40th anniversary.[32] French fashion designerDaniel Hechter took over as president of PSG in 1973, and designed the club's traditional home kit that same year: a blue shirt with a red vertical stripe flanked by two thinner white stripes (blue-white-red-white-blue).[31][33]
PSG's three most iconic shirts.
First worn in the1973–74 season, the so-called "Hechter shirt" has remained PSG's classic identity ever since.[13][34][35][36] The famous shirt was debuted againstRed Star in November 1973.[37] This was also the club's first match at theParc des Princes. PSG won 3–1 withOthniel Dossevi scoring the club's first goal in a Hechter shirt.[38] PSG stars from the 1990s and 2000s such asRaí,Ronaldinho andPauleta are associated with this kit. In it, the club reached five consecutive European semi-finals between 1993 and 1997, lifted theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 and achieved eight consecutive victories against arch-rivalsMarseille between 2002 and 2004.[13][39]
It is generally believed that Hechter based his design on the red and white jersey ofAjax, the dominant team in Europe at the time, but with the French flag in mind.[40][31][33] Hechter himself has denied this, stating that he was inspired by theFord Mustang. He transposed the car's hood stripes onto the jersey and used the three club colours.[31] Hechter's jersey has two alternate versions: the "Reverse Hechter" (red-white-blue-white-red), introduced in the1974–75 season season, and the "White Hechter" (white-blue-red-blue-white), which debuted in the1994–95 season.[31][36][41]
However, it was in the club's most distinctive away kit that fans saw PSG's first great team, who won their firstCoupe de France titles in 1982 and 1983, enjoyed their first European campaign in 1983, and clinched their firstLigue 1 crown in 1986. The shirt was white with blue and red vertical stripes down the left side.[13][34] Like Hechter's shirt, it debuted in the 1973–74 season as the away kit.[31] Promoted by PSG presidentFrancis Borelli, the white shirt was the club's home identity from 1981 to 1990.[34] Now known as the "Borelli shirt", it is synonymous with 1980s PSG legends such asSafet Sušić,Luis Fernández andDominique Bathenay.[13][35][42]
Crest evolution
Following the merger ofParis FC (PFC) andStade Saint-Germain to create Paris Saint-Germain, the club's first crest was the same as the original PFC logo. It featured a blue football and a red sailing ship with its sails billowing in the wind. This ship is a historical symbol of Paris and is present on the city's coat of arms with its motto "Fluctuat nec mergitur" ("[She] is tossed [by the waves], but does not sink").[43] After separating from PFC in 1972, PSG needed a new crest. Representing both Paris andSaint-Germain-en-Laye, the club's second crest became the basis of the one fans know today, featuring theEiffel Tower in red against a blue background and, below, two symbols of Saint-Germain in white: afleur-de-lis and the cradle ofLouis XIV.[43] This crest was first used in 1972 and was created by Christian Lentretien, a former PSG director and advertising professional.[43][44]
In 1982, an image of the club's stadium, the Parc des Princes, was added to the bottom of the crest, remaining there until 1990, when it was removed and the crest reverted to its original form.[43] Two years later, in 1992, the crest was radically modified by the club's owners,Canal+. The new design featured the initials "PSG" in white on a blue, white, red, white, and blue background, mimicking the design of the Hechter shirt, with "Paris Saint-Germain" below, also in white on a black background. Following pressure from the fans, the traditional crest returned in 1995 with "Paris Saint-Germain" above the tower and "1970" below the cradle. In 2002, it underwent a minor modification, primarily the addition of a darker shade of blue.[43]
At the request of the club's Qatari owners, the traditional crest was significantly redesigned in 2013.[43] Now, the word "Paris" is written in large, bold white letters above the Eiffel Tower, clearly emphasizing the "Paris" brand rather than "Paris Saint-Germain." Below, "Saint-Germain" is written in smaller letters beneath the fleur-de-lis.[45][46] The cradle of Louis XIV and the club's founding year, "1970," have been omitted.[46] PSG deputy general managerJean-Claude Blanc stated: "We are called Paris Saint-Germain but, above all, we are called Paris".[45]
Paris Saint-Germain used to host two famous invitational competitions: theTournoi de Paris and theTournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy.[47][48] Considered the most prestigious friendly tournament in French football, the Tournoi de Paris is regarded as the precursor to both theIntercontinental Cup and theFIFA Club World Cup.[47][49] PSG began organizing it in 1975 and have been crowned champions a record seven times.[47] Held at theParc des Princes, the Tournoi de Paris was last organized in 2012.[47][50] The Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy was anindoor football tournament founded by PSG in 1984 and held annually until 1991 at theAccorHotels Arena. The Parisians have lifted the trophy twice, more than any other club.[48]
From that moment on, the Parc des Princes has been the home stadium of PSG.[51] Its most prolific season in terms of average attendance was2024–25, during which an average of 47,639 spectators went to the stadium for each match.[51][54] The attendance record for a PSG match dates back to 13 March 1983, with 49,575 spectators present in the stands of the Parc des Princes. This match pitted PSG against Belgian sideWaterschei for theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals. The final score was a 2–0 victory for the Parisians.[55]
The club played at the Stade Jean-Bouin, concurrently with the Stade Georges Lefèvre, in1970–71, as it attracted significantly higher levels of fan support.[51][56] The Georges Lefèvre regularly hosted PSG matches from 1972 to 1974 as well.[51] Between 1904 and 1970, it was the home ofStade Saint-Germain, club which merged with Paris FC to form PSG in 1970.[51][57] PSG played again at the Jean-Bouin in1973–74, alternating their home games with the Georges Lefèvre and the Parc des Princes.[56] PSG played at the Stade Bauer for the first time in1971–72.[51] It was used again by the club once in1976–77 and1977–78, and twice in1978–79 due to construction work on the lawn of the Parc des Princes.[51][56] Similarly, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir welcomed PSG for three matches in 1971–72, once more in1974–75, and one last time in1975–76 because the Parc des Princes was under renovation.[51][56]
Campus PSG, located inPoissy, has been the club'straining ground since 2023.[58] Owned and funded by the club, it houses the men's football team, thewomen's football team, and thefootball academy, as well as thehandball andjudo teams and their academies.[59][60][61] Campus PSG will feature a stadium that will complement the club's stadium, theParc des Princes, which will be built during the second phase of the project, after 2024.[59][62] PSG's male team moved into Campus PSG on 10 July 2023.[58] They completed their first group training session there on 18 July 2023, and played their first game on 21 July 2023.[63][64] It was a friendly match againstLe Havre which ended in a 2–0 victory for PSG.[64]
Camp des Loges, located inSaint-Germain-en-Laye, was previously the club's training facility from July 1970 until July 2023.[65][66] Its main stadium, theStade Georges Lefèvre, served as the home ground for the men's team between 1972 and 1974.[51] Camp des Loges also hosted the training sessions of the club's academy and women's team until 2024.[66][65][67] The men's team moved to Campus PSG in July 2023.[58] The academy and women's team followed in January 2024.[67][68] However, the Camp des Loges remains the headquarters of theAssociation Paris Saint-Germain, as has been the case since 1970.[69][70]
Paris Saint-Germain have played 55 seasons, of which 52 have been played in thetop division ofFrench football, theLigue 1. In the remaining three seasons, the club have played twice in the second division, theLigue 2, and once in the third division, theDivision 3.[56][71][98][82] In the2024–25 season, PSG celebrated their 51st consecutive Ligue 1 campaign, making them the longest-serving club in the competition.[82][83] The club played its first competitive match on 23 August 1970, drawing 1–1 away toPoitiers in the opening matchday of Ligue 2.[71][99] PSG won the Ligue 2 title at the end of the campaign, earning promotion to the top flight.[3][5] The Parisians made their Ligue 1 debut on 11 August 1971, in a 2–0 away defeat toAngers.[82] Their momentum soon came to a halt and the club split in June 1972, with Paris FC remaining in Ligue 1 and PSG being administratively relegated to Division 3.[3][100]
After two consecutive promotions, PSG returned to Ligue 1 in the1974–75 season and never looked back.[82][83] Since then, the club have won a record thirteen league titles, finishing first more often than in any other position. Having finished second in nine league campaigns, PSG have regained the top two places on 22 occasions. They have also reached the top five 30 times, representing more than half of the club's seasons in Ligue 1. PSG's lowest ever finish is 16th, achieved in both the1971–72 and the2007–08 seasons, when they escaped relegation on the final day with a 2–1 win atSochaux.[82]
PSG enjoyed their best season to date in the2024–25 campaign, playing a record 65 matches, becoming the first French club to win thecontinental treble after claiming their maidenUEFA Champions League title in addition to the league championship and Coupe de France, and averaging a record crowd of 47,639 per home league game.[101][102][54] The club also set several records during the2015–16 season: PSG collected 96 points, their highest total in Ligue 1, while conceding just 19 goals; they won 47 matches in all competitions; andZlatan Ibrahimović became the player with the most goals scored in a single season, netting 50 times. Other notable records across all competitions include the 28 goals conceded in the1993–94 season and the 171 goals scored in the2017–18 season.[101][103]
The Parisians made their international debut in the1982–83 season, qualifying for the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup asCoupe de France winners.[5] Their first match was againstLokomotiv Sofia and reached the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated byWaterschei Thor.[108][109] PSG subsequently competed in theUEFA Europa League in the1984–85 campaign, before taking their first steps in Europe's premier club competition, the Champions League, in the1986–87 season.[110][111][112]
Between 1992 and 1997, the club reached five consecutive semi-finals: three in the Cup Winners' Cup, one in the Champions League, and one in the Europa League.[113][114] They won their first European trophy by defeatingRapid Wien in the1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final.[77][115] This victory allowed PSG to compete in the UEFA Super Cup, where they lost toJuventus.[104] They reached a second consecutive Cup Winners' Cup final in1997, this time losing toBarcelona.[105] PSG played in the now-defunct Intertoto Cup once. They did so in 2001, winning their second continental trophy againstBrescia on away goals in thetwo-legged final.[116]
Paris Saint-Germain are the most popular football club in France, accounting for 22% of the country's fan base.[121] With an estimated 35 million fans, PSG are also one of the most followed teams in the world.[122] TheParc des Princes has been its home ground since July 1974.[51] It has four stands: Tribune Auteuil, Tribune Paris, Tribune Borelli and Tribune Boulogne.[123] Historically, the Auteuil and Boulogne stands, better known as the Virage Auteuil (VA) and the Kop of Boulogne (KoB), have been home to PSG'sultras, making the Parc one of the most feared venues in Europe and one of the best in terms of atmosphere.[124][125][126] Other, more welcoming and family-oriented fan groups have regularly gathered in the stands of Paris and the Borelli, including the club's firstsupporters' group, Les Amis du PSG, founded in 1975.[127][128]
Lacking a large and passionate following, the club began offering cheaper season tickets to young fans in 1976. They were housed in Kop K, located in the blue K section of the Paris stand at the Parc des Princes.[128][24] Following increased ticket prices, fans in Kop K moved to the Boulogne stand in 1978, and the Kop of Boulogne was born.[24][27][129] The club's first Italian-style ultra group, the Boulogne Boys, was founded there in 1985,[129][130][131] followed by the English-inspired kopistes Gavroches and Rangers. However, several KoB groups, such as Commando Pirate and Casual Firm, took English hooligans as dubious role models, and violence quickly escalated.[127][132]
In response, the club's owners,Canal+, encouraged non-violent KoB fans to gather at the other end of the stadium, giving rise to the Virage Auteuil in 1991, spearheaded by the ultra groups Supras Auteuil, Lutece Falco and Tigris Mystic.[127][27][133] The measure worked at first, but a violent, racially motivated rivalry slowly emerged between the two stands.[27][133][134] The situation came to a head in 2010 before a match againstMarseille. Boulogne fan Yann Lorence was killed following a brawl between groups from both stands outside the Parc, forcing PSG presidentRobin Leproux to take action.[27][135] In what became known as the Plan Leproux, the club exiled all groups from the Parc and also banned them from away matches.[125] It took six years for the ultras to regain their place in the stadium. Former VA supporters formed the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP) in May 2016, and the club agreed to their return in October 2016.[125][135][136]
Based in Auteuil, the CUP are currently the only officially recognized ultra group by the club.[126][137] They share the stadium with other licensed groups: Hoolicool, Vikings 27 and Handicap PSG in the Paris stand; and Les Amis du PSG, Titi Fosi and PSG Grand Sud in the Borelli stand.[27][138][139] Previously, PSG also recognized Supras Auteuil, Lutece Falco and Tigris Mystic from Auteuil; Boulogne Boys, Gavroches and Rangers from Boulogne; and Authentiks, Puissance Paris and Brigade Paris from Paris.[127][138][139] Former members of Boulogne and new unofficial groups such as Block Parisii have tried to convince the club to relaunch the KoB, without success.[127][140] Instead, PSG allowed the CUP to take over the Boulogne stand starting in the 2025–26 season.[141][142]Hooligan firm Karsud are also still active, but have been banned from all club matches since 2017.[127][143][144]
PSG and OM were the dominant teams before the emergence ofOlympique Lyonnais in the 2000s, and are the most followed French teams internationally.[121][122][145][149] Both clubs lead or come close to the top of French attendances each season.[149] Their clashes during the 1970s gave little indication that they would become major adversaries.[150] The newly formed Parisians were trying to form a competitive team, while the Olympians wereLigue 1 contenders.[150]
The rivalry began in earnest in 1986, when PSG won their first championship andBernard Tapie bought OM.[150] By the end of the decade, PSG were battling Tapie's Marseille for the1988–89 title.[149][151] PSG presidentFrancis Borelli's accusations ofmatch-fixing against Tapie and OM during that season contributed to their growing rivalry.[152]
In the 1990s, tensions between the two teams escalated. French television channelCanal+ bought PSG in 1991 with the aim of breaking Marseille's hegemony, but later agreed with Tapie to emphasize the animosity between them as a way to promote the league.[149][151] With equivalent financial backing, PSG and OM became the main contenders for the title.[153] Both teams were less successful in the late 1990s and 2000s, but the rivalry remained strong.[150][153] Since the 2010s, PSG have dominated the duel, and the significant investment from their Qatari owners has created a significant rift between the clubs.[153]
Paris Saint-Germain were initiallyfan-owned and had 20,000 members.[71] The club was run by board members Guy Crescent, Pierre-Étienne Guyot and Henri Patrelle.[71][154] A group of wealthy French businessmen, led byDaniel Hechter andFrancis Borelli, would then buy the club in 1973.[155] PSG changed hands in 1991, whenCanal+ took over, and then again in 2006 with the arrival ofColony Capital.[156]Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) have been the majority owners of PSG since 2011, holding 87.5% of the shares in 2012.[157] Arctos Partners owns the remaining 12.5%.[158]
Backed by the Qatari government, QSI acquired a majority stake in 2011 and then became the Parisian outfit's sole owner in 2012.[156][157][159] PSG are therefore a state-owned club, which makes them one of the wealthiest teams in the world.[160][161][162] In 2023, Arctos Partners acquired a minority stake in the Qatar-funded French team.[158] QSI chairmanNasser Al-Khelaifi has been PSG president since the takeover.[163] However,Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, theEmir of Qatar, has the final word on every major decision of the club.[164] He is both the chairman of the QIA and the founder of QSI.[165]
Upon its arrival, QSI pledged to form a team capable of winning the UEFA Champions League.[5] PSG have spent billions on player transfers since the summer of 2011.[166] These massive expenditures have translated in PSG's domination of French football but have also caused problems withUEFA'sFinancial Fair Play regulations.[167][163][168]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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