50 Fun Facts About Paris Saint-Germain

PSG's first season brought which title?

Ligue 2. The new club took over the second-tier place of its Saint-Germain half, signed France captain Jean Djorkaeff and went up as champions at the first attempt.

Which Brazilian playmaker spent two seasons at PSG before joining Barcelona?

Ronaldinho. He scored twice to beat rivals Marseille, but fell out with his coach, who accused him of enjoying the Paris nightlife more than his football.

When PSG split in two in 1972, to which tier of French football was the club sent down?

Division 3. The Paris council demanded a new name; when members refused, the professionals left and PSG restarted with its amateur side.

What is PSG's home stadium?

Parc des Princes. Named after the royal hunting ground it stands on, it was built in 1897 as a velodrome for cycling, with only 3,200 seats.

Which England star played the last five months of his career at PSG in 2013, giving his wages to charity?

David Beckham. He won the French title, was made captain for his final home game and left the pitch in tears as his team-mates stopped to applaud him.

Which fashion designer and club president designed PSG's classic home shirt in 1973?

Daniel Hechter. The ready-to-wear designer also brought star players to the club, but he was forced out as president in 1978 over a double-ticketing scandal at the stadium.

PSG's shirt designer denied copying Ajax and said which car's bonnet stripe inspired the club's classic jersey?

A Ford Mustang. He said he saw one in the street, its central stripe running over the bonnet and roof, and transposed it at a time when football shirts had hoops.

The 'Borelli shirt', PSG's home identity from 1981 to 1990, was mainly which colour?

White. President Francis Borelli promoted the old away kit, with its red and blue stripe over the heart, to first choice, and PSG won their first cups and league title in it.

PSG's very first crest showed which historic symbol of Paris in red, before the Eiffel Tower replaced it?

A sailing ship. The vessel comes from the city's coat of arms, whose motto means "tossed by the waves but does not sink"; the tower arrived with a new crest in 1972.

Which French king, born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is recalled by the fleur-de-lis on PSG's crest?

Louis XIV. His cradle sat beside the fleur-de-lis on the badge until 2013, when the club's Qatari owners removed it and made the word Paris far bigger.

What animal is PSG's mascot, Germain?

A lynx. Germain was unveiled in 2010 as part of a family-friendly relaunch, with cheap family passes and games for children, after a season scarred by fan violence.

Which former PSG striker was the first African player to win the Ballon d'Or?

George Weah. He was the Champions League's top scorer for PSG in 1994–95, won the award that December after moving on, and was later elected president of Liberia.

PSG's official anthem, rewritten with fans in 2010, is sung to which Village People tune?

Go West. The tune reached football grounds through the Pet Shop Boys' 1993 cover, and clubs across Europe have put their own words to it.

Which English singer's "Who Said I Would" has long been played as PSG's players walk onto the pitch?

Phil Collins. When the club swapped his track for a DJ Snake piece in 2021, supporters protested, the DJ himself objected, and the old walk-out music was soon restored.

PSG's fan anthem "Ô Ville Lumière" is set to which tune?

Flower of Scotland. Fans borrowed the Scottish anthem's tune for a hymn to the "City of Light", and after the November 2015 attacks the club began playing it as the teams walked out.

Which PSG slogan did ultras register as a trademark in 2008?

Ici, c'est Paris. The fans said it was to stop anyone monopolising the chant; when the club put it on merchandise and offered €2,000 for the rights, they refused and the row went to court.

Which manager led PSG to their first league title, in 1986?

Gérard Houllier. He already knew Liverpool: he spent a year there as a teaching assistant, watching his first match at Anfield, long before returning to manage the club in 1998.

Which media company took over PSG in 1991?

Canal+. The takeover was meant to revive interest in a league that Marseille were running away with, and the channel's money brought in stars such as Raí and David Ginola.

Who was PSG's manager when it won the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup?

Luis Fernandez. A midfield star of the club's first title-winning side, he came back as coach and, aged 36, delivered its first European trophy.

PSG beat which club in the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup final?

Rapid Wien. Bruno Ngotty's free kick won it 1–0 in Brussels, in the first European club final held at the stadium since the Heysel disaster of 1985.

PSG's first Champions League semi-final, in 1995, ended in defeat to which Italian club?

AC Milan. PSG had won all six group games and knocked out Barcelona, in a run of five straight European semi-finals, but lost this one 3–0 on aggregate.

PSG's 2001 Intertoto Cup win came on away goals against which Italian club?

Brescia. After a goalless first leg in Paris, Aloísio scored in Italy, and Roberto Baggio's late penalty for the home side could only make it 1–1.

Which American investment firm joined the 2006 takeover of PSG and went on to become its majority owner?

Colony Capital. It bought in alongside two partners, but results sank and PSG twice escaped relegation before Colony sold a majority stake to Qatar's sports fund.

Which Argentine did PSG's Qatari owners sign in 2011?

Javier Pastore. The owners broke the French transfer record for him within weeks of taking over, the marquee signing of a recruitment drive that also brought in a string of France internationals.

Who became PSG president after the 2011 Qatari takeover?

Nasser Al-Khelaifi. A former tennis professional who played Davis Cup for Qatar, he had befriended the country's future emir through the sport when both were boys.

PSG escaped relegation in 2007–08 with a final-day win at which club?

Sochaux. Amara Diané scored both goals in the 2–1 win that kept PSG up, three years before the Qatari takeover turned the club into title favourites.

Which PSG player scored a club-record 50 goals in the 2015–16 season?

Zlatan Ibrahimović. It was his farewell season: in his last home game the crowd gave him a standing ovation and he scored twice to break the club's league-goal record from 1978.

As of 2026, who is PSG's all-time top scorer?

Kylian Mbappé. Born in Paris, he scored 256 goals for the club in seven seasons before leaving for Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024.

As of 2026, who holds PSG's all-time appearance record?

Marquinhos. In April 2024 he passed Jean-Marc Pilorget's 435 games, a record that had stood since 1989, and he went on to captain PSG to the Champions League.

As of September 2026, who is PSG's most decorated manager?

Luis Enrique. He rebuilt the side around collective play after its superstars left, and his 13 trophies in three seasons passed Laurent Blanc's 11.

As of 2026, which two PSG signings are the most expensive transfers in football history?

Neymar and Mbappé. In 2017 PSG triggered Neymar's €222 million release clause at Barcelona, more than doubling the old record, then agreed €180 million for Mbappé.

Which club beat PSG in its first Champions League final, in 2020?

Bayern Munich. The only goal came from Kingsley Coman, a Parisian who had come through PSG's own academy before leaving the club as a teenager.

PSG won its first Champions League in 2025 by beating which club in the final?

Inter Milan. PSG won 5–0, the widest margin in any major European final, and did it the season after the last of their superstar forwards had left.

How did PSG beat Arsenal in the 2026 Champions League final?

On penalties. After a 1–1 draw in Budapest, the shootout ended 4–3 when Arsenal's Gabriel sent his kick over the bar, making PSG back-to-back champions of Europe.

Which club beat PSG in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final?

Chelsea. PSG were heavy favourites after thrashing Real Madrid 4–0 in the semi-final, but Cole Palmer scored twice in the first half-hour of a 3–0 win.

PSG beat which Brazilian club in the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup final?

Flamengo. After a 1–1 draw in Qatar, goalkeeper Matvey Safonov saved four penalties in a row to give PSG, and French football, a first club world title.

PSG's six trophies in 2025 made them the third club to win a sextuple, after which two?

Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Pep Guardiola's and Hansi Flick's sides did it before them; PSG might even have made it seven, but came second in that summer's expanded world tournament.

What is the name of PSG's rivalry fixture with Olympique de Marseille?

Le Classique. Unlike most great football feuds it is not a neighbourhood affair but capital against second city, which is why it is also called the Derby de France.

Which businessman's purchase of Marseille helped ignite the rivalry in the 1980s?

Bernard Tapie. His Marseille won the 1993 Champions League, but a match-fixing scandal that year cost the club its French title and later put him in prison.

Which club, which split from PSG in 1972, contests the capital's derby with them?

Paris FC. Now owned by the billionaire Arnault family, they came back up in 2025 and moved into a stadium just across the street from PSG's.

Which two stands at PSG's stadium have traditionally housed the ultras?

Auteuil and Boulogne. The club's owners opened the Auteuil end in 1991 to draw peaceful fans away from a Boulogne kop plagued by hooligans, only for the two to become rivals.

What was the 2010 measure that exiled all supporter groups from PSG's stadium called?

Plan Leproux. President Robin Leproux brought it in after a fan died following a brawl between supporters of the club's own two ends, and organised ultras stayed out for six years.

Which Italian coach led PSG to the 2013 league title, their first of the Qatari era?

Carlo Ancelotti. It was PSG's first league title for 19 years; he left that summer for Real Madrid and won the Champions League there within a year.

Where is Campus PSG, the club's training ground since 2023?

Poissy. The club's Qatari owners judged its 1970 training base unfit for their ambitions and spent €300 million of PSG's own money on a 59-hectare replacement.

Which PSG forward won the 2025 Ballon d'Or after the club's first Champions League title?

Ousmane Dembélé. Dogged by injuries through six years at Barcelona, he produced 33 goals and 15 assists in the season PSG won the treble.

La Liga's salary rules sent which star to PSG in 2021?

Lionel Messi. He had agreed to halve his wages to stay at Barcelona, but the deal still broke the league's limits; he said goodbye in tears and signed for PSG two days later.

Which judoka was signed as the leading figure when PSG Judo was relaunched in 2017?

Teddy Riner. The revival was the idea of Djamel Bouras, a star of the original 1990s section, which had won a European title before folding in 2003; he became its president.

PSG's short-lived rugby league team played the very first match of which competition in 1996?

Super League. Paris beat Sheffield Eagles 30–24 in front of nearly 18,000 on opening night, but crowds fell away and the club folded after two seasons.

Which World Cup-winning goalkeeper spent a single season at PSG, 2018–19?

Gianluigi Buffon. The Juventus great never won the Champions League, and in Paris he spilled a shot as Manchester United came back to knock PSG out; he returned to Turin that summer.

Which French great guided PSG to promotion in 1974?

Just Fontaine. The scorer of a record 13 goals at one World Cup gave everyone a fright by collapsing on the pitch as PSG celebrated the play-off win, but he soon recovered.