PSG and OM were the dominant teams before the emergence ofOlympique Lyonnais in the 2000s, and are the most followed French teams internationally. Both clubs lead or come close to the top of French attendances each season. Their clashes during the 1970s gave little indication that they would become major adversaries. The newly formed Parisians were trying to form a competitive team, while the Olympians wereLigue 1 contenders.
The rivalry began in earnest in 1986, when PSG won their first championship andBernard Tapie bought OM. By the end of the decade, PSG were battling Tapie's Marseille for the1988–89 title. PSG presidentFrancis Borelli's accusations ofmatch-fixing against Tapie and OM during that season contributed to their growing rivalry.
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. With equivalent financial backing, PSG and OM became the main contenders for the title. Both teams were less successful in the late 1990s and 2000s, but the rivalry remained strong. Since the 2010s, PSG have dominated the duel, and the significant investment from their Qatari owners has created a significant rift between the clubs.
PSG were founded in 1970, and during that decade they were not on the same level as OM, traditionally a giant of French football. Founded in 1899, Marseille have competed for trophies for most of their history and, for at least their first 87 years, were more concerned with games againstSaint-Étienne orBordeaux than trips to the capital.[4] Today, this clash is considered the greatest rivalry in France, as well as one of the most important in club football.[5][6] PSG and OM are themost successful clubs in French football and the only two French sides to have lifted amajor European trophy.[7] They were also the undisputed leading teams before the emergence ofOlympique Lyonnais in the early 2000s, and remain the two most popular French clubs in the world, ahead of Lyon.[2][7][8][9] Both teams routinely top the attendance charts each season.[2]
Like all great rivalries, it has a historical, cultural and social significance that makes it more than just a football match. In France, it is seen as a battle between the country's two greatest cities: Paris versus Marseille, the capital versus the province, the north versus the south, the centre of political power versus the working class, and the club of the aristocracy versus the club of the people.[7][2][10] Ironically, PSG were born as ateam owned by their fans, while OM were founded by a coterie of aristocratic gentlemen.[11][12] In short, the seeds of the fiercest French rivalry were always there, but they only began to grow in 1986.[4] That year, PSG won their first league title and French businessmanBernard Tapie bought Marseille. He proceeded to invest huge amounts of money in star signings such asChris Waddle,Abedi Pelé,Jean-Pierre Papin,Basile Boli,Enzo Francescoli,Eric Cantona,Didier Deschamps andMarcel Desailly.[7][4][10]
The clash took on a new dimension and ferocity when they played each other for the1988–89 title, during which PSG presidentFrancis Borelli accused Tapie and OM ofmatch-fixing.[2][13][14] Between 1989 and 1992, the southerners won four consecutiveLigue 1 championships.[10][14] They also finished runners-up in the1990–91 European Cup before lifting the1992–93 UEFA Champions League.[10] Marseille fans have never let their PSG counterparts forget this triumph with the motto "A jamais les premiers" (Forever first).[15] However, all these successes were also marred by allegations of match-fixing by title rivals PSG andMonaco, as well as other clubs, further fueling the rivalry.[13][16][17][18]
Bernard Tapie instigated the rivalry in the early 1990s.
PSG were finally able to compete with OM afterCanal+, France's largest pay-TV network, bought the club in 1991.[10] The main reason behind the purchase was to revive interest in aLigue 1 completely dominated by Marseille, as well as to attract more subscribers by assembling a squad that could beat them.[19] With Bordeaux a declining force, Tapie needed a new domestic rival to make the championship attractive again.[14][19] He encouraged Canal+ to help him promote the enmity between the two clubs to an adversarial level.[2][14] With the backing of their own wealthy owner, PSG began to flex their muscles in the transfer market with Tapie's Marseille recruiting top talents such asDavid Ginola,Youri Djorkaeff,George Weah andRaí.[2][10] The league was now a two-horse race and they battled each other for the title in the early 1990s.[10]
Between 1989 and 1998, PSG and OM won five league titles, fourCoupe de France, twoCoupe de la Ligue, oneUEFA Champions League, oneUEFA Cup Winners' Cup and reached two further European finals.[4] Many experts argue that Marseille (1989–1994) and PSG (1993–1998) were two of the greatest teams in French football history.[20][21] The publicity also increased tensions between fans, and reports of fan violence became more frequent in the 1990s.[4] The match-up has since been marred by injuries and arrests.[2]
The rivalry reached new heights during the1992–93 French Division 1 season. PSG lost the title decider against OM and finished second.[20] Shortly afterwards, however, Tapie and Marseille were found guilty of match-fixing in theFrench football bribery scandal.[10][21] TheFrench Football Federation stripped OM of their title and offered it to runners-up PSG, who turned it down because Canal+ felt that claiming the trophy would anger its Marseille subscribers.[20][22] As a result, the 1992–93 title remains unattributed. Canal+ even refused to allow PSG to participate in the following year's Champions League afterUEFA expelled OM from the competition. Third-placed Monaco took the spot.[22] Marseille were administratively relegated toLigue 2 in 1994.[10][23] PSG would win nine trophies during that decade, most notably their second league title in 1994 and the1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, becoming the second French team to win amajor European title after OM.[24][25]
Marseille have since accused the Parisian political elite of conspiring against them to crown PSG kings of French football.[26][27] This sense of injustice stems from the political dimension of the rivalry, whichFIFA has described as a clash between "the chosen ones of French football (the politically favored PSG) and their enfants terribles (the rebel OM)."[28] PSG presidentDaniel Hechter was found guilty of ticket fraud in 1977, and his replacement, Francis Borelli, incurred serious debts and financial irregularities in 1991. Unlike their arch-rivals, PSG were not relegated in either case; instead, they were bought by Canal+ with the specific aim of dethroning OM.[20] Two decades later, French presidentNicolas Sarkozy, a well-known fan of PSG, which was then experiencing financial difficulties, facilitated the purchase of the club byQatar Sports Investments (QSI).[29]
OM quickly returned to the top flight in 1996 after two seasons in Ligue 2, but their new owner was not as keen to spend as Tapie.[10] Likewise, PSG's Canal+ slowly began to reduce its investment in the transfer market.[10] However, the rivalry remained just as intense.[4] Marseille only lost twice to their northern rivals between September 1990 and February 2000, before Paris became the dominant force in the 2000s, during which they went on an eight-match winning streak between 2002 and 2004.[30]
Despite both claiming to be the best clubs in France, PSG and OM have rarely been at their best at the same time, and have only competed directly for trophies on a handful of occasions. The2006 Coupe de France final was the first time they met in a cup final, with Paris defeating Marseille 2–1 to win the title.[3][30] The two sides have never met inUEFA competitions.[30] In the2008–09 UEFA Europa League, they came very close to reaching the semi-finals, but Ukrainian teamsDynamo Kyiv andShakhtar Donetsk avoided that meeting.[31]
Superstars likeZlatan Ibrahimović have given PSG the edge since the 2010s.
The scales briefly tipped in Marseille's favour when they claimed the Ligue 1 and Coupe de la Ligue double in 2010, ending their 17-year trophy drought, and then beat Paris in the2010 Trophée des Champions on penalties.[13][30][32][33] However, the arrival of wealthy owners QSI in June 2011 allowed Paris to acquire a star-studded line-up the likes of which Ligue 1 had not seen since the Marseille sides of the early 1990s, including players such asZlatan Ibrahimović,Neymar,Kylian Mbappé andLionel Messi.[2][34][35][36] Since then, the clash has become a one-sided affair and PSG have monopolized French football, becoming thecountry's most successful club in history in terms of titles won.[11][34]
In turn, OM have struggled to keep pace.[34] Without a trophy since the2011–12 Coupe de la Ligue, they have occasionally threatened PSG's hegemony.[30][37] Marseille faced eventual champions Paris for theleague title in 2013, with both teams finishing in the top two for the first time since1994, which PSG also won. They had previously competed for the championship in1989 and1993, with OM beating second-placed Paris on both occasions.[3][30] PSG were crowned champions ahead of Marseille in2020,2022 and2025.[38][39] They also met in the2016 Coupe de France final and the2020 Trophée des Champions, with PSG winning both titles.[40][41]
In September 2020, Marseille's second win in nearly nine years reignited the rivalry.[42] OM midfielderDimitri Payet mocked PSG's defeat in the2020 UEFA Champions League final before kick-off, sparking a mass brawl involving PSG winger Neymar and Marseille defenderÁlvaro as protagonists.[42][43] PSG finally won their first Champions League title in2025, equaling OM's feat of 1993, to become the first French club to win thecontinental treble, having also claimed the league title and the Coupe de France.[44][45][46] In September 2025, on the same night PSG were named the best team in the world at the2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony, Marseille secured their first home league win over the reigning European champions in 14 years.[47]
Josip Skoblar scored a brace for OM in the first Le Classique.
12 December 1971 (OM 4–2 PSG). The inaugural match was played at theStade Vélodrome, just over a year after PSG's founding. The Parisians were looking to avoid relegation in their first season in the top flight, while the Olympiacos were aiming for a second consecutive title. The match ended in a resounding victory for a Marseille side inspired byJosip Skoblar, who scored a brace.[13][48]Bernard Bosquier andDidier Couécou also scored; the former scored the first goal in the history of Le Classique.[13][30]Michel Prost scored both of PSG's goals.[48]
9 May 1975 (OM 2–2 PSG). PSG, underdogs, visited the Vélodrome in the quarter-finals of theCoupe de France. OM were comfortably leading 2–0 whenFrançois M'Pelé scored two goals to revive PSG's qualification hopes.[49] Angered by the result, Marseille fans erupted in several violent incidents after the final whistle. M'Pelé believes this match is the true origin of the animosity between the two clubs.[48][49]
13 May 1975 (PSG 2–0 OM). In the return leg, PSG secured their first victory against OM and advanced to the semi-finals of the Coupe de France with goals fromLouis Floch andJacques Laposte. At the end of the match, Marseille's Brazilian stars,Caju andJairzinho, lost their tempers and physically assaulted the referee on the way to the locker room.[30][50] They were suspended and never played for the Olympians again.[50][51]
8 January 1978 (PSG 5–1 OM). Marseille scored first throughBoubacar Sarr, but PSG responded with a M'Pelé brace, goals fromFrançois Brisson andMustapha Dahleb, and OM'sMarius Trésor own goal.[50][52] Paris also hit the bar three times andCarlos Bianchi missed a penalty.[48] It was PSG's first ever victory over Marseille, as well as their biggest victory over their rivals and one of the biggest wins in the history of the rivalry.[53]
7 April 1979 (PSG 4–3 OM). Carlos Bianchi gave PSG the victory in this goal-fest.Bernard Bureau, Dahleb andArmando Bianchi also scored for Paris, whileMarc Berdoll (twice) andRobert Buigues were on target for OM. This match holds the record for most goals in Le Classique.[52][54]
8 December 1979 (OM 0–2 PSG). Paris had to wait eight years to finally secure their first away win. Goals from former Marseille striker Boubacar Sarr, who became the first player to score for both clubs, andJean-François Beltramini gave PSG all three points at the Stade Vélodrome in a season in which OM were relegated to the second division.[30][53]
28 November 1986 (OM 4–0 PSG). OM recorded their biggest win over PSG, with French legendJean-Pierre Papin scoring the last goal against the title holders at the Stade Vélodrome.[13] PSG defenderPhilippe Jeannol replaced injured goalkeeperJoël Bats at half-time, conceding two goals in the second half.[55]
21 May 1988 (OM 1–2 PSG).Safet Sušić's opening goal andGabriel Calderón's late winner gave PSG their second away win against OM, avoiding relegation and dashing Marseille's hopes of European qualification.[30][50][56] During the match, OM forward Papin was about to score when PSG defenderMichel Bibard mimicked the referee's whistle. Papin inadvertently stopped his run and passed the ball to the goalkeeper. After realizing what had really happened, a heated argument broke out between the two players, which nearly escalated into a full-blown brawl.[56] At the final whistle, Bernard Tapie threatened the referee, claiming he would not ensure his safety after leaving the stadium.[50]
Basile Boli scored one of the rivalry's best goals in 1993.
5 May 1989 (OM 1–0 PSG). The1988–89 title decider at the Vélodrome set the tone for the years that followed.[14] PSG presidentFrancis Borelli accused his Marseille counterpart Bernard Tapie of match-fixing.[13] Played out amid an electric atmosphere, the title looked to be heading for league leaders Paris with the score tied at 0–0 and only seconds remaining.[14] But a 25-yard shot fromFranck Sauzée stunned PSG goalkeeperJoël Bats as OM overtook their rivals at the top of the table to seal their first trophy in 17 years.[14][57]
18 December 1992 (PSG 0–1 OM). This particularly violent match at the Parc des Princes became known as the "Butchery of 1992."[14] PSG managerArtur Jorge announced his side would crush OM, whileDavid Ginola promised war. Tapie motivated his players by posting newspaper articles containing these provocations in the locker room.[19] Marseille did not disappoint, winning thanks to a goal fromAlen Bokšić.[19][52] More than 50 fouls were called during the match, including one by OM'sÉric Di Meco, who hit PSG'sPatrick Colleter in the face.[19][50]
29 May 1993 (OM 3–1 PSG). League leaders Marseille hosted their closest rivals, PSG, in a title decider. OM quickly fell behind but responded with three goals, including one of the best seen in Le Classique: a collective goal capped by an 18-yard header fromBasile Boli.[57]
8 November 1997 (PSG 1–2 OM). With the score tied, PSG'sÉric Rabésandratana apparently brought down Marseille'sFabrizio Ravanelli inside the box.Laurent Blanc converted the controversial penalty that gave OM the victory in Paris. To this day, PSG accuse Ravanelli of a clear dive.[13]
4 May 1999 (PSG 2–1 OM). Marseille took the lead, but late goals fromMarco Simone andBruno Rodriguez dealt a serious blow to their title hopes.[52] After scoring the equalizer, Simone mocked the OM fans by showing off hisBatman tattoo.[58] It was PSG's first league win over Marseille since April 1990.[30] OM were trailingBordeaux, who played PSG on the final matchday. Bordeaux won with a late goal to become champions, much to the delight of the PSG fans.[13] To this day, Marseille accuse PSG of deliberately losing to Bordeaux.[13][52]
15 February 2000 (OM 4–1 PSG). Mid-table Marseille thrashed podium contenders Paris at the Stade Vélodrome in a heated encounter. The referee showed consecutive red cards to former PSG teammatesLaurent Leroy andJérôme Leroy, now at OM. Laurent reacted to a heavy challenge from Jérôme with a kick. They continued to exchange blows until the fight escalated.[57][59] Florian Maurice, who scored Marseille's final goal, celebrated by taking off his right shoe and throwing it at the fans.[60]
10 February 2002 (PSG 1–1 OM). The two sides met in the Coupe de France for the first time since 1995.Daniel Van Buyten had put OM ahead midway through the second half and almost sent PSG home whenGabriel Heinze equalized five minutes from time. With the scores level after extra time, PSG goalkeeperJérôme Alonzo was the hero of the penalty shoot-out, saving three of OM's nine attempts to reach the quarter-finals.[30][53]
Ronaldinho terrorized Marseille defenders during the early 2000s.
26 October 2002 (PSG 3–0 OM).Ronaldinho led PSG to a crushing victory at the Parc des Princes with dribbles, sprints, no-look passes and goals.[13][61] He opened the scoring with a spectacular free kick and completed his brace by converting a penalty.Martín Cardetti added a third with a header.[61] On the touchline, PSG managerLuis Fernandez celebrated Ronnie's opener with an improvised samba.[61][62] The match marked the start of a run of eight consecutive victories against Marseille.[10][30]
9 March 2003 (OM 0–3 PSG). Jérôme Leroy opened the scoring with a 25-yard winner from an almost impossible angle. After the break, Ronaldinho intercepted a poor pass to break away and beat goalkeeperVedran Runje to score. He made another fantastic run at the end. Starting from his own half, Ronnie held offBrahim Hemdani, evaded Runje inside the box, and then faked a shot, deceiving Hemdani, before calmly laying the ball off to Leroy.[61][63] It was PSG's first win at the Stade Vélodrome since May 1988.[13][30][57]
30 November 2003 (OM 0–1 PSG). Against a stronger home side,Fabrice Fiorèse finished off a 90th-minute counterattack to give PSG their second consecutive victory at the Stade Vélodrome for the first time in their history. He celebrated the goal by covering his ears and mocking the Marseille fans. Nine months later, Fiorèse signed for OM, declaring it "a dream come true."[64][65]
25 April 2004 (PSG 2–1 OM).Pauleta's stellar performance was the highlight of the evening. The Portuguese striker scored two goals, and his first of the match is one of the best of the rivalry: a precise chip from an impossible angle that beat Marseille goalkeeperFabien Barthez.[66]
7 November 2004 (PSG 2–1 OM). The return ofFrédéric Déhu and Fabrice Fiorèse to the Parc des Princes diminished the focus of the match. Both players had left the French capital to join Marseille in the summer of 2004 and received an exceptionally hostile reception from the PSG fans.[67][68] After just twenty minutes of play, PSG defenderSylvain Armand was sent off for a violent tackle on Fiorèse.[68] The former Parisian was also the target of multiple projectiles from the stands.CRS riot police had to protect Fiorèse whenever he took a corner.[58][69] Despite being a man down for most of the match, PSG claimed victory thanks to two superb goals from Pauleta andÉdouard Cissé.[68][70]
10 November 2004 (OM 2–3 PSG). Three days later, the two sides met again in the second round of the2004–05 Coupe de la Ligue. PSG managerVahid Halilhodžić decided to rest his regular starters and Marseille quickly took a two-goal lead. It looked as though their fortunes were about to change, but PSG's youngsters and substitutes had other plans.Branko Bošković scored twice to tie the game beforeBernard Mendy interceptedBixente Lizarazu's back-pass to goalkeeper Barthez, dribbling past the latter and slotting the ball into an empty net to complete a stunning last-minute comeback.[71] This was PSG's eighth and final consecutive victory against OM, a run known to Parisian fans as "The Big Eight."[53]
16 October 2005 (OM 1–0 PSG).Lorik Cana, who had signed for OM directly from PSG a few months earlier, scored the only goal of the game.[57][72] It was OM's first win since April 2002, ending PSG's nine-match unbeaten run in the fixture.[30] Two hours before kick-off, a smell of ammonia permeated the dressing room, forcing the Parisians to be moved to a new changing room located below the local supporters.[58][73][74] It was also claimed that OM ordered French porn star Clara Morgane to walk past the PSG dressing room and distract their players. Morgane attended the match but denied the allegations.[75][76] PSG managerLaurent Fournier complained about these incidents, while OM presidentPape Diouf responded that they had to "learn to accept defeat."[74]
5 March 2006 (PSG 0–0 OM). Growing tensions among the fans led to fewer seats being allocated to visitors. In protest, Diouf sent the club's youth team to a match known to OM fans as "The Boys." They drew and were hailed as champions in the south.[13][52]
26 October 2008 (OM 2–4 PSG). With a brace fromGuillaume Hoarau, PSG scored four goals at the Vélodrome for the first time in their history, putting them on course to fight for the league title and preventing Marseille from overtaking them at the top of the table.[57]
15 March 2009 (PSG 1–3 OM). A win would give PSG first place. Marseille opened the scoring with a goal fromBoudewijn Zenden, who fell into an advertising bin next to the corner flag while celebrating his goal, andLudovic Giuly equalized for Paris just before half-time. With the score tied in the second half,Zoumana Camara's straight red card marked the turning point. Shortly after,Bakari Koné and Lorik Cana scored for OM, leapfrogging PSG into second place and ending their title hopes.[53][78]
20 November 2009 (OM 1–0 PSG). Ten years before theCOVID-19 pandemic, the2009 swine flu pandemic hit France. Scheduled for October, this match was postponed after PSG players Ludovic Giuly,Mamadou Sakho andJérémy Clément were diagnosed withH1N1 flu and the entire squad quarantined in their hotel in Marseille.[75][79] It was played in November when former idol Gabriel Heinze crucified Paris with the only goal of the game, becoming only the second player to score for both teams after Boubacar Sarr in 1979.[30][67]
28 February 2010 (PSG 0–3 OM). Goals fromHatem Ben Arfa,Lucho González andBenoît Cheyrou gave OM their biggest victory at the Parc des Princes against a mediocre PSG side that finished 13th. Marseille would go on to win both Ligue 1 and the Coupe de la Ligue, ending a 17-year title drought.[13]
28 July 2010 (OM 0–0 PSG). Marseille won their firstTrophée des Champions in2010, beating PSG 5–4 on penalties after a goalless draw. Neither side put up a great show in their first meeting in this competition. BothPeguy Luyindula and Ludovic Giuly missed penalties for the Parisians, and while Lucho also failed to score for OM, former PSG midfielder Édouard Cissé scored the winning penalty.[33]
7 November 2010 (PSG 2–1 OM).Nenê was in stellar form, and PSG secured their first home win over OM since November 2004.Mevlüt Erdinç opened the scoring by finishing in a rebound after Marseille goalkeeperSteve Mandanda failed to keep out a shot from Nenê. The Turkish striker celebrated by lifting his shirt to reveal one emblazoned with the club's slogan "Paris is magical!" Guillaume Hoarau extended PSG's lead soon after with a shot through Mandanda's legs, after Nenê had found him with a superb chip over the defenders. Lucho quickly pulled one back, but OM could not find an equalizer against PSG's resolute defense.[80][81]
27 November 2011 (OM 3–0 PSG). The Parisians arrived as league leaders, but returned home having lost their lead and being overtaken by a vastly superior OM side thanks to goals fromLoïc Rémy,Morgan Amalfitano andAndré Ayew.[57] This was Marseille's last win over Paris until September 2020.[30]
7 October 2012 (OM 2–2 PSG).André-Pierre Gignac opened the scoring but PSG'sZlatan Ibrahimović turned things around with a volleyed back-heel and a 25-yard free-kick. Gignac ensured parity with his second of the night as OM remained top of the table.[57][82] This was the first time since January 1994 that both teams went into the game occupying the top two spots.[3]
24 February 2013 (PSG 2–0 OM). In the return match, despite an early own goal fromNicolas N'Koulou, OM dominated and had the better of the chances. PSG goalkeeperSalvatore Sirigu made several superb saves to preserve his side's lead, and Ibrahimović secured victory over their2012–13 Ligue 1 title rivals in added time.[83]
Zlatan Ibrahimović scores from the penalty spot against Marseille in 2013.
6 October 2013 (OM 1–2 PSG).Thiago Motta was sent off after bringing downMathieu Valbuena inside the box, andAndré Ayew converted the resulting penalty. Despite the numerical disadvantage, PSG came back with goals fromMaxwell and Ibrahimović to beat Marseille on their own pitch for the first time since October 2008.[84]
5 April 2015 (OM 2–3 PSG). Leaders Paris visited second-placed Marseille for the decisive match. Gignac scored twice, but a curling shot fromBlaise Matuidi, a lucky strike fromMarquinhos and an own goal fromJérémy Morel catapulted PSG to the title.[57][85]
21 May 2016 (OM 2–4 PSG). The two teams met in the2016 Coupe de France final at the Stade de France. PSG were aiming for the domestic treble, while Marseille were trying to salvage a mediocre season. In his final game for the club, Ibrahimović scored twice and provided another assist as Paris lifted the trophy in front of a record 80,000 spectators.[40] It was PSG's tenth consecutive victory.[30]
26 February 2017 (OM 1–5 PSG). Goals from Marquinhos,Edinson Cavani,Lucas Moura,Julian Draxler and Matuidi gave Paris their biggest away win to date.[34][57] It was their second 5–1 victory against Marseille, having won by the same margin at home in January 1978, and the first time they had scored five goals at the Vélodrome, surpassing the four they netted in October 2008.[30]
22 October 2017 (OM 2–2 PSG).Luiz Gustavo opened the scoring for OM with a 30-yard shot beforeNeymar equalized. Late in the match, OM regained the lead throughFlorian Thauvin, and Neymar was sent off. The Olympians were seconds away from their first win since November 2011, but Cavani's last-gasp free kick silenced the entire stadium.[30][86]
28 October 2018 (OM 0–2 PSG).Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring with a superb individual run three minutes after coming on in the second half. Marseille failed to score due to Marquinhos' theatrics, before Draxler scored PSG's second goal in stoppage time. The German winger celebrated by cupping his ears to the home fans.[87][88]
27 October 2019 (PSG 4–0 OM). A banner from the PSG fans set the tone for the match at the Parc des Princes. It read: "We have been hammering you for eight years and it's not over."[89]Mauro Icardi and Mbappé each scored twice in the first half as PSG edged out Marseille by a scoreline resembling the match's biggest thrashings.[30][89] This was PSG's twentieth and final unbeaten run against OM, a run in which the Parisians won seventeen times, including ten consecutive victories, and drew their remaining three matches.[53]
22 March 2020 (match cancelled). On 30 April 2020, theFrench League awarded the2019–20 Ligue 1 title to PSG following the French government's cancellation of the season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the second leg between Marseille and Paris, scheduled for 22 March 2020, at the Stade Vélodrome, was never played, a first in the rivalry's history.[38]
13 September 2020 (PSG 0–1 OM). Shortly after PSG's defeat in the2020 UEFA Champions League final,Dimitri Payet mocked PSG on social media, saying that OM were still the only French team to have won the trophy.[43] Florian Thauvin scored the only goal of the match in the first half, volleying in Payet's free kick from close range. It was Marseille's first win over Paris since November 2011.[90] In added time, a full-scale brawl broke out on the pitch. PSG's Neymar,Leandro Paredes andLayvin Kurzawa were sent off, as were OM'sDarío Benedetto andJordan Amavi. Neymar accusedÁlvaro of making a racist remark towards him.[42][43][90] Álvaro denied the allegations. Neymar himself was accused of homophobic and racist comments towards Álvaro andHiroki Sakai. The French League took no action, citing lack of evidence.[42][91][92] Sakai also cleared Neymar of any wrongdoing against him.[93] PSG wingerÁngel Di María received a four-match ban for spitting at Álvaro.[94] The game was dubbed the "Battle of Paris" by the media.[95]
13 January 2021 (PSG 2–1 OM). The Parisians gained revenge in the2020 Trophée des Champions. Icardi put PSG ahead six minutes before half-time. During the second half, Neymar was targeted by Álvaro, who fouled him several times. Neymar had the last laugh, converting the winning goal from the penalty spot. Payet pulled one back for OM with one minute remaining, but PSG held on to secure the title.[41][42] After the match, Neymar mocked Álvaro and Payet and their empty trophy cabinet on social media.[42][96][97][98]
8 February 2023 (OM 2–1 PSG). The Olympians reached the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France thanks to anAlexis Sánchez penalty and a stunning goal fromRuslan Malinovskyi after PSG'sSergio Ramos equalized in the dying minutes of the first half. It was Marseille's first Coupe de France victory over PSG since April 1991, almost 32 years after winning 2–0 at the Parc des Princes; their first win against their rivals at the Stade Vélodrome in a cup match; and their first home victory in Le Classique since November 2011.[99][100]
26 February 2023 (OM 0–3 PSG). Paris responded with a resounding victory at the Stade Vélodrome. Mbappé andLionel Messi combined to score three goals to end Marseille's title hopes. Both players reached individual milestones: Messi scored his 700th goal for the club, as well as his first and only strike in Le Classique, while Mbappé's brace made him the club's all-time top scorer, adding his 200th goal in 246 matches, 55 fewer than Cavani.[101]
24 September 2023 (PSG 4–0 OM). PSG comfortably defeated OM in a shared record victory.Achraf Hakimi scored from a free kick, followed by a goal fromRandal Kolo Muani and a double fromGonçalo Ramos. It was Mbappé's last Le Classique at the Parc des Princes; he limped off with an injury in the first half.[102]
22 September 2025 (OM 1–0 PSG). Scheduled for the previous day, the match had to be postponed due to a downpour. Despite PSG's desire to avoid the game clashing with the2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony, OM argued that it should take place within 24 hours of the initial postponement under league rules, and threatened legal action if it was not. While PSG were named the best team in the world at the Ballon d'Or, withOusmane Dembélé andLuis Enrique taking home best player and best manager awards respectively, they were second-best at the Vélodrome, losing a league match in Marseille for the first time in 14 years. An own goal by Marquinhos after a mistake by goalkeeperLucas Chevalier gave OM their first home league win since November 2011. Meanwhile, in Paris,Gianluigi Donnarumma, who left PSG in the summer amid controversy, lifted the award for best goalkeeper.[47][103]
9 May 1975: Marseille fans, feeling they had been robbed of a penalty late in the match, attacked the PSG team bus after the final whistle and clashed withCRS riot police.[49]
29 May 1993: Both groups of fans clashed at theStade Vélodrome, leaving fourteen injured. Marseille fans responded after receiving a dozen flares from PSG supporters, who also set fire to several OM shirts during the match.[104]
11 April 1995: 146 people were arrested and nine police officers were hospitalized following clashes between fans of both teams.[2]
4 May 1999: The two groups of fans started the match by fighting on the pitch at theParc des Princes before kick-off.[13]
13 October 2000: Geoffrey Dilly, an 18-year-old Marseille fan, was paralyzed for life after being hit by a seat thrown from the PSG supporter section above.[58]
7 November 2004: PSG fans stoned the Marseille team bus upon its arrival at the Parc des Princes, and OM managerJosé Anigo suffered minor injuries.[58]
4 February 2007: Marseille fans stoned the PSG bus upon its arrival at the Stade Vélodrome. Buses carrying Parisian fans were also attacked upon arrival at the stadium.[58]
15 March 2009: PSG fans threw more than 60 flares during the match, including four rockets toward the visiting stands, causing burns to the neck of a Marseille fan.[105]
26 October 2009: Amid the2009 swine flu pandemic, three PSG players were diagnosed withH1N1 flu and the match was postponed just hours before its scheduled kick-off.[79] 2,000 Parisian fans were already in Marseille and clashes broke out between the two sides.[106] Ten Marseille fans were arrested by CRS riot police and ten people were injured, including a PSG supporter who was hit by a car that fled the scene.[58][79]
5 April 2015: Marseille fans threw stones and other objects at the PSG bus before kick-off near the Stade Vélodrome. PSG starZlatan Ibrahimović was reportedly nearly hit by a golf ball that went through the window of team managerLaurent Blanc. Police also clashed with OM fans blocking a roundabout near the stadium and used tear gas to disperse them. Eight officers received minor injuries, while eight Marseille fans were arrested.[107]
21 May 2016: Before the2016 Coupe de France final at theStade de France clashes broke out between PSG and OM fans. Paris won the match 4–2, and after the final whistle, furious Marseille fans lit two flares in the stands and set fire to some seats. Thirty people were arrested, but no one was injured.[108]
28 February 2018: After entering the Parc des Princes for the first time since 2014, the Marseille fans tore no fewer than 137 seats from the away stand, and some were even relocated to the side stands. They also damaged the stadium's restrooms.[109]
18 August 2020: Fans of both teams clashed in Marseille following PSG'sUEFA Champions League semi-final victory againstRB Leipzig. A man was arrested for assaulting a man wearing a PSG shirt. Hundreds of OM fans chanted anti-PSG chants and set off firecrackers.[43][110]
Despite the rivalry, as many as 52 players have played for both clubs.[121] Only two managers have ever coached both teams:Lucien Leduc andTomislav Ivić. When Paris and Marseille became arch-rivals in the early 1990s, transfers began to make headlines.Jocelyn Angloma was the first high-profile signing between the two sides; he left Paris in 1990 in exchange for Marseille'sBernard Pardo,Bruno Germain andLaurent Fournier.[122] PSG took the next big step with the signings ofPeter Luccin andStéphane Dalmat from OM in 2000. They responded positively to the lures of the capital to compete in the2000–01 UEFA Champions League.[123][124]
OM responded with PSG captainFrédéric Déhu and fan favoritesFabrice Fiorèse,Lorik Cana andModeste M'bami.[68][72][125] In conflict with the Parisian manager, they moved south between 2004 and 2006. Déhu's free transfer to Marseille was announced days before the2004 Coupe de France final. Booed by PSG fans throughout the match, he left the pitch in tears after lifting the trophy.[67] Fiorèse joined him soon after, adding that OM had always been his dream club.[64] Cana signed for Marseille in 2005 and stated he was joining "the club of my heart."[67][72][123] M'bami did the same in 2006, despite having said he would never play for OM.[125] Upon their return to the Parc des Princes, they were berated by PSG fans, who displayed two banners reading: "We have Jesus (along with a portrait of PSG defenderMario Yepes), you have Judas (Fiorèse)" and "Déhu, Fiorèse, Cana, M'bami, the list of whores keeps growing."[68][126]
PSG found solace inPeguy Luyindula, who signed from OM in 2007, claiming to have fulfilled a lifelong ambition. It was the last direct transfer to date.[127][128] Idolized in Paris,Gabriel Heinze told the press in 2005 that he loved PSG and would only play for them if he ever returned to France.[67][72] In 2009, with his return virtually a done deal, he decided to sign for Marseille at the last minute.[123] PSG fans welcomed him back to the Parc des Princes with insults, whistles and hostile banners, only for him to score OM's winning goal.[67][72] He became the second player, afterBoubacar Sarr, to score for both clubs in the clash. Sarr remains the only player to have scored for both teams and been traded directly between them.[30][121]
The transfer war has since calmed down, with Qatar-backed PSG having the financial means to sign any player in the world, while OM have had to settle for more modest targets.[128] However, the animosity towards the players has not abated.Adrien Rabiot, a formerPSG Academy and first-team player between 2010 and 2019, returned to the Parc des Princes as Marseille captain in March 2025. PSG ultras heavily abused him, as well as his mother and agent, Véronique Rabiot, and dedicated a banner to both of them at the start of the second half. It read: "Loyalty for men, betrayal for whores. Like father, like son. Véro, who's his real father? Déhu, Fiorèse, Cana or Heinze?"[129]
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67'
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Steve Mandanda
Marquinhos
Marco Verratti
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Edinson Cavani
Pauleta
Ángel Di María
Lorik Cana
Modeste M'bami
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