Paris Saint-Germain FC

Formation, split and early successes (1970–1991)

By the late 1960s, Paris lacked a club in the top division of French football. With support from the French Football Federation (FFF), Parisian businessmen Guy Crescent and Pierre-Étienne Guyot founded Paris FC in 1969 and later brought in Henri Patrelle, president of Stade Saint-Germain. The two clubs merged on 12 August 1970 to form Paris Saint-Germain. The club began in Ligue 2 and won the title in its first season, securing promotion to Ligue 1 for 1971–72. The club's early years were affected by financial difficulties and disagreements over its future structure. In 1972, Paris FC and PSG split. Paris FC retained its place in Ligue 1, while PSG was administratively relegated to Division 3 and continued under its existing name. PSG won back-to-back promotions and returned to Ligue 1 in 1974, moving into the Parc des Princes.

During the second half of the 1970s, Daniel Hechter became a driving force behind PSG's development and its establishment in the top flight. He became club president in 1974 and remained in the position until January 1978. Hechter was then replaced by Francis Borelli following the double-ticketing scandal at the Parc des Princes. Under Borelli, PSG won its first major trophies. The club reached its first Coupe de France final in 1982, where it faced Saint-Étienne at the Parc des Princes. After a 2–2 draw following extra time, PSG won the final on penalties to claim its first major trophy. The club retained the Coupe de France the following year by defeating Nantes 3–2 in the final.

PSG continued to develop as a leading French club during the 1980s and featured several notable players, including Jean-Pierre Dogliani, Mustapha Dahleb, Safet Sušić, Luis Fernandez and Dominique Rocheteau. In 1986, under manager Gérard Houllier, the club won its first French championship. PSG finished three points ahead of Nantes and lost only three matches during the season. The championship was followed by a sporting decline and increasing financial difficulties. PSG struggled to maintain its position among the leading French clubs, with declining league performances and growing financial problems affecting the club during the latter part of Borelli's presidency.

First golden era and decline (1991–2011)

Canal+ took control of PSG in 1991, beginning a period of increased investment in the club. Michel Denisot became president, while the new ownership strengthened the squad and appointed prominent coaches. PSG recruited several high-profile players during the 1990s, including Raí, George Weah, David Ginola, Bernard Lama and Valdo. The club won the Coupe de France in 1993, defeating Nantes 3–0 in the final, and won its second French championship in 1994.

PSG also became a regular participant in European competition. In the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League, the club won its group and advanced to the semi-finals, where it was eliminated by AC Milan. In 1996, PSG won its first European trophy by defeating Rapid Wien 1–0 in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in Brussels, with Bruno Ngotty scoring the only goal. PSG reached the same competition's final again in 1997 but lost 1–0 to Barcelona. The club continued to win domestic trophies during the late 1990s. PSG won the Coupe de la Ligue in 1998 and defeated Lens in the Coupe de France final later that year to complete a domestic cup double.

Despite having notable players such as Jay-Jay Okocha, Ronaldinho and Pauleta, PSG's results became less consistent after the end of the 1990s. Changes in management, sporting directors and ownership were accompanied by a decline in league performances. PSG remained capable of winning domestic trophies, taking the Coupe de France in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and the Coupe de la Ligue in 2008, but spent several seasons outside the upper positions of Ligue 1. The club finished 15th in 2006–07 and 16th in 2007–08, its lowest league finishes during this period. In 2008, Colony Capital became PSG's majority shareholder. The club subsequently improved its league position, finishing sixth in 2008–09, 13th in 2009–10 and fourth in 2010–11. PSG also won the Coupe de France in 2010, defeating Monaco 1–0 after extra time.

Rise to European dominance (2011–present)

In 2011, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) acquired a majority stake in PSG and subsequently became the club's sole owner. Nasser Al-Khelaifi became president, and the new ownership significantly increased investment in the playing squad. Early major signings included Javier Pastore, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti. After finishing as runners-up in 2012, PSG won Ligue 1 in 2013, their first league championship since 1994, and successfully defended it in 2014. The club subsequently established sustained domestic dominance, winning multiple Ligue 1 championships and cup titles. In 2014–15, PSG became the first French club to win all four major domestic trophies in a single season: Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue and the Trophée des Champions. The club repeated the feat in 2015–16, when it also set a Ligue 1 record with 96 points.

PSG then built a squad around superstars, signing Neymar from Barcelona and Kylian Mbappé from Monaco in 2017, before Lionel Messi joined the club in 2021. The trio helped PSG win further domestic trophies but did not deliver a Champions League title. During this period, PSG reached the Champions League final in 2020, losing 1–0 to Bayern Munich, and the semi-finals in 2021 and 2024. Neymar left the club in 2023, followed by Messi later that year, while Mbappé departed in 2024.

Campus PSG, located in Poissy, has been the club's training ground since 2023. Owned and funded by the club, it houses the men's football team, the women's football team, and the football academy, as well as the handball and judo teams and their academies. Campus PSG will feature a stadium that will complement the club's stadium, the Parc des Princes, which will be built during the second phase of the project, after 2024. PSG's male team moved into Campus PSG on 10 July 2023. They completed their first group training session there on 18 July 2023, and played their first game on 21 July 2023. It was a friendly match against Le Havre which ended in a 2–0 victory for PSG.

Camp des Loges, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, was previously the club's training facility from July 1970 until July 2023. Its main stadium, the Stade Georges Lefèvre, served as the home ground for the men's team between 1972 and 1974. Camp des Loges also hosted the training sessions of the club's academy and women's team until 2024. The men's team moved to Campus PSG in July 2023. The academy and women's team followed in January 2024. However, the Camp des Loges remains the headquarters of the Association Paris Saint-Germain, as has been the case since 1970.