Belonging to the City of Light, Paris Saint Germain is a club of passion, emotion, and no limits. The Ligue 1 standouts may be a young team, but have no doubt been exceptional during their short life span. Home to world class talent, the team has fans cheering their name in French and foreign countries. Continue to keep reading to learn more about the Les Rouge-et-Bleu!

About the Club

Before there was Paris Saint Germain (PSG), there was two separate teams: Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain. In 1970, a group of businessmen merged the teams together to create one that could belong to an elite group of athletes. This decision was backed by a petition of over 20,000 individuals who desired an elite level of French Soccer in their country’s capital. Within a year of the club’s creation, they tasted success and promotion, but then faced a split within their second season. Paris FC continued in the top tier professional branch, while PSG were demoted down to the third tier of French soccer.

It wasn’t until the 1990’s that PSG developed as a leader in French soccer. The 1990’s brought upon the golden era for the team when Canal+ bought the club and provided a financial backbone. With a new financial structure, the team was able to invest in big-name signings and quickly developed into one of France’s most dominating clubs. They claimed their second Ligue 1 title (1994), three French Cups (1993, 1995, 1998), and two League Cups (1995, 1998).

The early 2000’s brought on years of mismanagement and problems characterized by their fan’s hooliganism. Luckily, the club took a turn for the better once they were bought by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 and returned to the level of success they were receiving from their golden era. Bringing home silverware for consecutive years, this new era was the most successful in the history of the French game.

Today, PSG’s identity has been revolutionized to represent a winning culture playing at the highest level in French soccer. They are one of the wealthiest European soccer teams who are willing to pay a pretty penny to get the players that they want. They’re hungry for every title, but also have a strong passion to make a change in French communities through children’s foundations and young academies.

Highlights of the Club

Wondering what makes PSG such a prominent team? Here are a few highlights of the young club:

• In total the team holds 10 Ligue 1 titles, 14 French Cups, 9 French League Cups, 11 Champions Trophies, and 1 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

• They are one of two French clubs to have won a major European title, this title being the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

• The club set a world record transfer cost in 2017 when they bought Neymar Jr. from Barcelona for a 222 million euro fee.

• The club is tied with AS Saint-Etienne as the most successful French club, each having the most Ligue 1 titles.

• They hold the most Ligue 1 points in a season (96) than any other French team.

Notable Players

PSG’s main field, Parc des Princes, has seen names including David Beckham, Thiago Silva, George Weah, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic play upon it. Signing Ibrahimovic in 2011 put PSG on a global map with his four-season stay. Some would say he changed the level of success of the club and without him, it wouldn’t have become what it is today. While with PSG, Ibrahimovic was the top scorer in Ligue 1 for three seasons, won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles, and became PSG’s all-time leading goal scorer at the time.

Something that PSG is not afraid to do, is make expensive signings. In 2017, the team signed Neymar Jr. for a world-record fee of 222 million euros, making him the most expensive player ever. As well, they completed an expensive transfer of 180 million euros to sign Kylian Mbappe, who is now considered to be one of the best forwards in the world. These two players are not the only prominent faces that have hit the modern-day PSG field. Lionel Messi shocked the world by joining the club in 2021 to show the French capital his high level of talent. With this star-studded trio, PSG’s modern-day play has seen new heights.

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