Paris Saint-Germain FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Paris Saint-Germain Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Les Parisiens (The Parisians) Les Rouge-et-Bleu (The Red-and-Blues) |
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| Short name | PSG, Paris, Paris SG | |||
| Founded | 12 August 1970 | |||
| Ground | Parc des Princes | |||
| Capacity | 47,929 | |||
| Owner | Qatar Sports Investments (87.5%) Arctos Partners (12.5%) |
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| President | Nasser Al-Khelaifi | |||
| Head coach | Luis Enrique | |||
| League | Ligue 1 | |||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1, 1st of 20 (champions) | |||
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Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, often called PSG, is a famous French football team from Paris. It was started in 1970 when two clubs, Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain, joined together. PSG plays in Ligue 1, which is the top football league in France. Their home stadium is the Parc des Princes in Paris, which can hold 47,929 fans. With 55 trophies, they are the team that has won the most awards in French football history. PSG is the most popular football club in France and has many fans all over the world. They have a big rivalry with another team, Olympique de Marseille, and their matches are called Le Classique.
PSG won their first big trophy, the Coupe de France, in 1982. They then won their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. The 1990s were very successful for the club. They won their second league title in 1994 and their first European trophy, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, in 1996. After a tough time in the 2000s, things got much better in the 2010s when a company called Qatar Sports Investments bought the club. With lots of new money, PSG started winning many league titles and national cups. They became a regular team in the UEFA Champions League. They even won their first Champions League title in 2025, which was part of a special achievement called a 'continental treble' (winning three major trophies in one season).
PSG has won 52 trophies in France, including a record 13 Ligue 1 titles, 16 Coupe de France, 9 Coupe de la Ligue, and 13 Trophée des Champions. They also won one Ligue 2 title. On the international stage, they have won four trophies: the Champions League in 2025 (making them the second French club to win it), the Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 (the only French team to do so), the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001, and the UEFA Super Cup in 2025 (the first French team to win this one). PSG is one of only two French clubs to have won a major European trophy, and the first to achieve the continental treble.
Since 2011, PSG has been mostly owned by Qatar Sports Investments, a company supported by the Qatari government. By 2012, they owned 87.5% of the club, and an American company called Arctos Partners owned the rest (12.5%). PSG is the richest club in France and one of the wealthiest in the world. In January 2025, PSG was ranked as the third-highest earning football club globally, bringing in €806 million. They were also listed as the world's seventh most valuable football club, worth $4.4 billion.
Contents
History of Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain started in 1970 when Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain joined forces. Right away, PSG did great! They won Ligue 2 in their first season and moved up to Ligue 1, the top league. But things changed in 1972 when the club split. Paris FC stayed in the top league, while PSG had to go down to the third division. After winning promotions two years in a row, PSG quickly returned to the top league in 1974 and moved into their new home, the Parc des Princes stadium.
PSG won their first trophies in the 1980s. With star players like Safet Sušić, Luis Fernandez, and Dominique Rocheteau, they won the Coupe de France two years in a row (1982 and 1983). They also won their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. After a tough period, the club got a boost in 1991 when a TV channel called Canal+ bought them. With players like David Ginola, George Weah, and Raí, PSG won nine trophies and reached the semi-finals of European competitions five times in a row during the 1990s. They won their second league title in 1994 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, with Luis Fernandez as their coach.
In the early 2000s, even with amazing players like Ronaldinho and Pauleta, PSG found it hard to get back to the very top. They won five more trophies (three Coupe de France, one Coupe de la Ligue, and one UEFA Intertoto Cup), but the club also faced many challenges. In 2006, Canal+ sold the club to Colony Capital. But things didn't get much better, and PSG spent the next two seasons trying to avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Everything changed for the club in 2011 when Qatar Sports Investments became the new owners. Since then, PSG has spent a lot of money to bring in world-class players like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé. Neymar and Mbappé were two of the most expensive player transfers ever! Because of this, PSG has been very successful in French football, winning 37 trophies. This includes eleven league titles, eight Coupe de France, six Coupe de la Ligue, and eleven Trophée des Champions. They have also regularly reached the final stages of the UEFA Champions League. They made it to the final for the first time in 2020 and won their first title in 2025.
PSG's Identity and Symbols
Team Colours and Mascot
Since it started, Paris Saint-Germain has represented both the city of Paris and the nearby royal town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. That's why red, blue, and white are the club's main colors. Red and blue represent Paris, and white stands for French royalty and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
On the club's badge, the Eiffel Tower in red and the blue background show Paris. The white fleur de lys reminds us of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and that French King Louis XIV was born there. PSG has had different badges over the years, but all of them have used these three important colors.
Also, PSG's most famous jerseys have been mostly red, blue, or white, with the other two colors added in. The club's official mascot is Germain the Lynx, who also wears PSG's traditional colors. Germain was introduced in 2010 for the club's 40th anniversary. You can often see Germain making kids happy in the stands or near the field before games at the Parc des Princes.
Team Songs and Slogans
Allez Paris!, sung by Annie Cordy in 1971, was PSG's first official song. She was a big fan and helped start the club in 1970. She even became PSG's official godmother!
In 1977, a new song called Allez Paris-Saint-Germain! became the club's anthem. Fans loved to sing the chorus during games. A new version of this song was made in 2010 for the club's 40th birthday. Fans helped rewrite the words to the tune of Go West, and it's still the official song today.
Ô Ville Lumière is another popular song for PSG fans. Other well-known 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"). The song Who Said I Would by Phil Collins has been played when players enter the field since 1992.
"Ici, c'est Paris" and "Paris est magique" are also the club's most famous slogans. "Ici, c'est Paris" was created by a fan group. After some discussions, the club and fans agreed that PSG could use the slogan in their marketing, and fans could still use it freely.
Famous Jerseys
For its first three seasons, PSG's home jersey was red with blue and white details. This was to show all three club colors: red and blue for Paris and white for Saint-Germain-en-Laye. In the 2010–11 season, PSG wore a red jersey for home games to celebrate its 40th anniversary. In 1973, French fashion designer Daniel Hechter became PSG's president and designed the club's classic home kit. It was a blue shirt with a red stripe down the middle, flanked by two thinner white stripes.
This "Hechter shirt" was first worn in the 1973–74 season and has been PSG's classic look ever since. It was first seen in a match against Red Star in November 1973, which was also PSG's first game at the Parc des Princes. PSG won 3–1. Famous players from the 1990s and 2000s like Raí, Ronaldinho, and Pauleta wore this jersey. In this kit, the club reached five European semi-finals between 1993 and 1997. They also won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 and had eight straight wins against their rivals Olympique de Marseille between 2002 and 2004.
Many believe Hechter based his design on the red and white jersey of AFC Ajax, a very strong European team at the time, but with the French flag in mind. Hechter himself said he was inspired by the Ford Mustang car. He put the car's hood stripes onto the jersey, using the three club colors. The Hechter jersey has two other versions: the "Reverse Hechter" (red-white-blue-white-red), which started in the 1974–75 season, and the "White Hechter" (white-blue-red-blue-white), which first appeared in the 1994–95 season.
However, it was in the club's unique away kit that fans saw PSG's first great team. This team won their first Coupe de France titles in 1982 and 1983, played in Europe for the first time in 1983, and won their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. This jersey was white with blue and red vertical stripes down the left side. Like Hechter's shirt, it first appeared in the 1973–74 season as the away kit. Promoted by PSG president Francis Borelli, this white shirt became the club's main home jersey from 1981 to 1990. Now known as the "Borelli shirt," it is linked to 1980s PSG legends like Safet Sušić, Luis Fernández, and Dominique Bathenay.
Badge Evolution
When Paris FC (PFC) and Stade Saint-Germain merged to create Paris Saint-Germain, the club's first badge was the same as the original PFC logo. It showed a blue football and a red sailing ship, a symbol of Paris. After splitting from PFC in 1972, PSG needed a new badge. The club's second badge, which is the basis for today's design, showed the Eiffel Tower in red against a blue background. Below it were two white symbols of Saint-Germain: a fleur-de-lis and the cradle of Louis XIV. This badge was first used in 1972.
In 1982, an image of the club's stadium, the Parc des Princes, was added to the bottom of the badge. It stayed there until 1990, when it was removed. Two years later, in 1992, the badge was changed a lot by the club's owners, Canal+. The new design featured the letters "PSG" in white on a blue, white, red, white, and blue background, similar to the Hechter shirt. "Paris Saint-Germain" was written below it. After fans asked for it, the traditional badge returned in 1995, with "Paris Saint-Germain" above the tower and "1970" below the cradle. In 2002, it was slightly updated with a darker blue color.
At the request of the club's Qatari owners, the traditional badge was significantly redesigned in 2013. Now, the word "Paris" is written in large, bold white letters above the Eiffel Tower, making the "Paris" brand more prominent. Below, "Saint-Germain" is written in smaller letters beneath the fleur-de-lis. The cradle of Louis XIV and the club's founding year, "1970," were removed. PSG's deputy general manager said, "We are called Paris Saint-Germain but, above all, we are called Paris."
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1970–1972
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1972–1982
1990–1992 -
1982–1990
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1992–1996
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1996–2002
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2002–2013
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2013–Present
Friendly Tournaments Hosted by PSG
Paris Saint-Germain used to host two famous friendly football competitions: the Tournoi de Paris and the Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy. The Tournoi de Paris was considered the most important friendly tournament in French football. PSG started organizing it in 1975 and has won it a record seven times. Held at the Parc des Princes, the Tournoi de Paris was last held in 2012. The Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy was an indoor football tournament started by PSG in 1984. It was held every year until 1991 at the AccorHotels Arena. PSG has won this trophy twice, more than any other club.
PSG's Home Grounds
Stadiums Where PSG Plays
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Since it began, Paris Saint-Germain has played in five main stadiums. These are the Stade Jean-Bouin, the Stade Georges Lefèvre, the Stade Bauer, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, and the Parc des Princes, which is their current home. PSG played its first match at the Parc des Princes on November 10, 1973, against Red Star. PSG officially moved into the Parc des Princes in July 1974 when they returned to Ligue 1.
From that time on, the Parc des Princes has been PSG's home stadium. The season with the most fans attending matches was 2024–25, with an average of 47,639 spectators per game. The record for the most people at a PSG match was 49,575 fans on March 13, 1983. This game was against the Belgian team Waterschei in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals, and PSG won 2–0.
The club also played at the Stade Jean-Bouin and Stade Georges Lefèvre in its early years. The Stade Georges Lefèvre was the home of Stade Saint-Germain before it merged to form PSG. Other stadiums like Stade Bauer and Stade Yves-du-Manoir were used occasionally when the Parc des Princes was being worked on.
Training Facilities for PSG Teams
Campus PSG, located in Poissy, has been the club's training ground since 2023. This facility, owned by the club, is home to the men's football team, the women's football team, and the football academy. It also hosts the handball and judo teams and their academies. Campus PSG will eventually have its own stadium, which will be built after 2024. PSG's men's team moved to Campus PSG on July 10, 2023. They had their first group training session there on July 18, 2023, and played their first game on July 21, 2023. It was a friendly match against Le Havre, which PSG won 2–0.
Camp des Loges, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, was the club's training facility from July 1970 until July 2023. Its main stadium, the Stade Georges Lefèvre, was the home ground for the men's team between 1972 and 1974. Camp des Loges also hosted the training sessions for the club's academy and women's team until January 2024. However, Camp des Loges remains the main office for the Association Paris Saint-Germain, as it has been since 1970.
PSG's Achievements and Records
Club Records and Trophies
Paris Saint-Germain holds many records. They are the most successful French club in history with 56 official titles. They hold the record for most wins in all domestic competitions, with 13 Ligue 1 titles, 16 Coupe de France, nine Coupe de la Ligue, and 13 Trophée des Champions. They also won one Ligue 2 title. Internationally, PSG has won one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and one UEFA Intertoto Cup. They have also won 24 unofficial titles, including a record seven Tournoi de Paris and two Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy.
PSG's win in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup made them the only French club to win that trophy. They are also one of only two French teams to win a major European competition. By winning the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League title, they became the first French club to achieve the continental treble (winning three major trophies in one season) and the continental quadruple (winning four major trophies). They were also the first French team to win the UEFA Super Cup in 2025. In France, PSG has won the domestic quadruple four times. They have also won the domestic double, the league and league cup double, the domestic cup double, the domestic treble, and the league three-peat several times.
The Parisians are the club with the most consecutive seasons in the top league (51 seasons in Ligue 1 since 1974–75). They are also the only team to have won the Ligue 1 title by leading the table from the first to the final round (2022–23). They won the Coupe de France without letting in a single goal (1992–93 and 2016–17). They also won five Coupe de la Ligue in a row (2014–2018), four Coupe de France in a row (2015–2018), and eight consecutive Trophée des Champions (2013–2020).
Important people and players in the club's history include the most decorated president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, most decorated manager Laurent Blanc, record appearance maker Marquinhos, top scorer Kylian Mbappé, assist leader Ángel Di María, clean sheet leader Bernard Lama, most capped and longest-serving captain Thiago Silva, Ballon d'Or winners George Weah and Lionel Messi, and world-record transfer Neymar.
PSG's Seasons Over Time
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Paris Saint-Germain has played 55 seasons. Out of these, 52 seasons have been in Ligue 1, the top football league in France. In the other three seasons, the club played twice in the second division (Ligue 2) and once in the third division. In the 2024–25 season, PSG celebrated their 51st consecutive Ligue 1 campaign, making them the longest-serving club in the competition. The club played its first official match on August 23, 1970, drawing 1–1 away to Poitiers in Ligue 2. PSG won the Ligue 2 title that season and moved up to the top league. The Parisians made their Ligue 1 debut on August 11, 1971, losing 2–0 away to Angers. The club split in June 1972, and PSG was moved down to Division 3.
After two promotions in a row, PSG returned to Ligue 1 in the 1974–75 season and has stayed there ever since. Since then, the club has won a record thirteen league titles, finishing first more often than in any other position. They have finished second nine times, meaning PSG has been in the top two places 22 times. They have also reached the top five 30 times, which is more than half of the club's seasons in Ligue 1. PSG's lowest ever finish was 16th, which happened in both the 1971–72 and 2007–08 seasons. In 2008, they avoided being moved down to a lower league on the very last day with a 2–1 win against Sochaux.
PSG had their best season ever in the 2024–25 campaign. They played a record 65 matches and became the first French club to win the continental treble. This included their first UEFA Champions League title, along with the league championship and Coupe de France. They also had a record average crowd of 47,639 per home league game. The club also set several records during the 2015–16 season: PSG earned 96 points, their highest total in Ligue 1, and only let in 19 goals. They won 47 matches in all competitions, and Zlatan Ibrahimović scored 50 goals, which was the most by a player in a single season for the club. Other notable records include only 28 goals conceded in the 1993–94 season and 171 goals scored in the 2017–18 season.
PSG in International Football
Paris Saint-Germain is the most successful French club in international competitions. They have won four European titles: the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001, the UEFA Champions League in 2025, and the UEFA Super Cup in 2025. PSG is also the only French team to have won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the first to win the continental treble and the Super Cup. They were runners-up in the 1996 UEFA Super Cup, the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The Parisians played their first international match in the 1982–83 season. They qualified for the now-closed Cup Winners' Cup because they had won the Coupe de France. Their first match was against Lokomotiv Sofia. They reached the quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by Waterschei Thor. PSG later competed in the UEFA Europa League in the 1984–85 season. They then took their first steps in Europe's biggest club competition, the Champions League, in the 1986–87 season.
Between 1992 and 1997, the club reached five semi-finals in a row: three in the Cup Winners' Cup, one in the Champions League, and one in the Europa League. They won their first European trophy by beating Rapid Wien in the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final. This win allowed PSG to play in the UEFA Super Cup, where they lost to Juventus. They reached a second Cup Winners' Cup final in 1997, but lost to Barcelona. PSG played in the now-closed Intertoto Cup once, in 2001. They won their second European trophy against Brescia in the two-legged final.
PSG reached their first Champions League final in 2020, where they lost to Bayern Munich. It was their first European final since 2001. They won their first Champions League title in 2025, defeating Inter Milan in the final. As European champions, PSG qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. They lost to Chelsea in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, but won the Super Cup on penalties against Tottenham Hotspur.
PSG Supporters
Paris Saint-Germain is the most popular football club in France, with 22% of the country's football fans. With about 35 million fans, PSG is also one of the most followed teams in the world. The Parc des Princes has been their home stadium since July 1974. It has four main stands: Tribune Auteuil, Tribune Paris, Tribune Borelli, and Tribune Boulogne. Historically, the Auteuil and Boulogne stands were known for PSG's most passionate fans, creating an amazing atmosphere. Other fan groups, more focused on families, gathered in the Paris and Borelli stands.
In 1976, the club started offering cheaper season tickets to young fans to build a bigger following. These fans gathered in a section called Kop K. Later, in 1978, these fans moved to the Boulogne stand, and the Kop of Boulogne was formed. Over time, some groups in the Boulogne stand caused problems, leading to safety concerns.
To address this, the club encouraged non-violent fans to gather at the other end of the stadium, creating the Virage Auteuil in 1991. This helped at first, but a rivalry grew between the two stands. In 2010, after a serious incident outside the Parc des Princes, the club took strong action. They temporarily removed all organized fan groups from the stadium and banned them from away matches. It took six years for these fan groups to return. Former Auteuil supporters formed the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP) in May 2016, and the club allowed them to return in October 2016.
The CUP, based in Auteuil, is currently the only officially recognized fan group by the club. They share the stadium with other licensed groups like 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. PSG allowed the CUP to also use the Boulogne stand starting in the 2025–26 season.
PSG's Rivalries
Le Classique: PSG vs. Marseille
Paris Saint-Germain has a strong rivalry with Olympique de Marseille. Matches between these two teams are known as Le Classique. They are the two most successful clubs in French football and the only French teams to have won major European trophies. Because of this, their games are considered the biggest rivalry in France.
PSG and Marseille were the top teams before Olympique Lyonnais became strong in the 2000s. They are also the most followed French teams around the world. Both clubs usually have the highest attendance numbers in France each season. Their early matches in the 1970s didn't suggest they would become such big rivals. PSG was a new team trying to become competitive, while Marseille was already a top team in Ligue 1.
The rivalry truly began in 1986 when PSG won their first championship and Bernard Tapie bought Marseille. By the end of the decade, PSG was battling Tapie's Marseille for the 1988–89 title. The rivalry grew stronger due to accusations made by PSG president Francis Borelli against Tapie and Marseille during that season.
In the 1990s, the tension between the two teams increased. The French TV channel Canal+ bought PSG in 1991, hoping to challenge Marseille's dominance. Later, Canal+ and Tapie agreed to highlight the rivalry to make the league more exciting. With similar financial support, PSG and Marseille 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 has dominated the rivalry, and the large investments from their Qatari owners have created a big difference between the clubs.
PSG Ownership and Money
Paris Saint-Germain was first owned by its fans, with 20,000 members. The club was managed by board members Guy Crescent, Pierre-Étienne Guyot, and Henri Patrelle. A group of rich French businessmen, led by Daniel Hechter and Francis Borelli, then bought the club in 1973. PSG changed owners again in 1991 when Canal+ took over, and then again in 2006 with the arrival of Colony Capital. Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) has been the main owner of PSG since 2011, holding 87.5% of the shares by 2012. Arctos Partners owns the remaining 12.5%.
QSI, which is supported by the Qatari government, bought most of the club in 2011 and became the sole owner in 2012. This means PSG is a state-owned club, making it one of the wealthiest teams in the world. In 2023, Arctos Partners bought a small share in the club. QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been PSG president since the takeover. However, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, makes the final decisions for the club. He is both the chairman of the QIA and the founder of QSI.
When QSI arrived, they promised to build a team that could win the UEFA Champions League. PSG has spent billions of dollars on buying players since the summer of 2011. These huge expenses have led to PSG dominating French football.
In January 2025, PSG had the third-highest revenue in the footballing world with annual earnings of €806 million. They were also listed as the world's seventh-most valuable football club, worth $4.4 billion. This financial growth has been helped by PSG's Qatari owners, the team's success on the field, signing famous players like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi, and profitable sponsorship deals with companies like the Qatar Tourism Authority, Nike, Air Jordan, Accor, and Qatar Airways.
PSG's Honours and Trophies
| Type | Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Ligue 1 | 13 | 1985–86, 1993–94, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 |
| Ligue 2 | 1 | 1970–71 | |
| Coupe de France | 16 | 1981–82, 1982–83, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2023–24, 2024–25 | |
| Coupe de la Ligue | 9 | 1994–95, 1997–98, 2007–08, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20 | |
| Trophée des Champions | 13 | 1995, 1998, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |
| Continental | UEFA Champions League | 1 | 2024–25 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | 1995–96 | |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1 | 2001 | |
| UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 2025 |
Current PSG Players
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Players on Loan
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PSG Management and Coaching Staff
Club Management
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President |  Nasser Al-Khelaifi |
| Chief Executive Officer |  Victoriano Melero |
| Football Advisor |  Luís Campos |
Technical Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| First-team head coach |  Luis Enrique |
| Assistant coach | Rafel Pol |
| Assistant coach | Guillem Hernández |
| Goalkeeper coach | Borja Álvarez |
See also
In Spanish: Paris Saint-Germain Football Club para niños
