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Lore & Background

Olympique de Marseille's history is marked by early dominance and a golden era in the 1920s, winning the Coupe de France in 1924, 1926, and 1927, and the French championship in 1929. The club turned professional in 1932 and won its first professional league title in 1937. The 1942–43 season, an unofficial wartime competition, saw records: 100 goals in 30 matches, including a 20–2 win over Avignon where Aznar scored nine goals (though this result is not part of official Ligue 1 records). The club's most celebrated period came under president Bernard Tapie from 1986, assembling a team that won four consecutive league titles between 1989 and 1992 and reached the European Cup final in 1991. The highlight came in 1993 when OM became the first French club to win the UEFA Champions League, with Basile Boli scoring the only goal against AC Milan. This triumph, however, was followed by a decade of decline after a bribery scandal that broke in 1993, with the club's punishment coming in 1994.

In Their Own Story

On a rainy night in Munich's Olympic Stadium, 26 May 1993, Olympique Marseille faced the mighty AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League final. The French side, built by Bernard Tapie and coached by Raymond Goethals, had already lost the European Cup final two years prior to Red Star Belgrade on penalties. This time, they were determined. In the 43rd minute, a corner kick from Abedi Pele found the head of Basile Boli, who powered the ball into the net. The goal stood. For the remaining 47 minutes, Marseille's defense, marshaled by Marcel Desailly and Fabien Barthez, held firm against Milan's attacks. When the final whistle blew, Olympique Marseille had made history, becoming the first French club to lift the European Cup. Didier Deschamps, at 24, became the youngest captain to do so.

Reader's Guide

Olympique de Marseille is the second most decorated French football team with 29 trophies, including 28 major titles. Domestically, they have won nine league titles, one Ligue 2 title, ten Coupe de France, one Coupe Charles Drago, three Coupe de la Ligue, and three Trophée des Champions. Internationally, their crowning achievement is the 1993 UEFA Champions League, supplemented by the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup. The club has also been runners-up in the European Cup (1991) and the UEFA Europa League (1999, 2004, 2018). Their home ground, the Stade Vélodrome, regularly hosts the highest average attendance in French football. The club's long-standing rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain is known as Le Classique. In 2016, American businessman Frank McCourt bought 95% of the club's stake.

Did You Know?

• The club's name 'Olympique' was chosen to honor the Greeks from Phocaea, who founded Marseille some 25 centuries earlier.
• In the 1942–43 season, an unofficial wartime competition, Marseille scored 100 goals in 30 league matches, including a 20–2 win over Avignon where Aznar scored nine goals (though this result is not part of official Ligue
• Marseille's 1993 Champions League win is often cited as making Didier Deschamps the youngest captain to lift the trophy at age 24, but that record is disputed or belongs to others.
• American businessman Frank McCourt bought 95% of the club's stake in 2016.
• Marseille was ranked 19th in the world for revenue in the 2023–2024 Deloitte Football Money League, with earnings of approximately €287 million.

Foundational Origins and Early Identity

Olympique de Marseille was founded in 1892 by René Dufaure de Montmirail as an omnisport club. For its first seven years, it was known as Football Club de Marseille, adopting the name Olympique de Marseille in 1899. The name 'Olympique' was chosen to honor the Greeks from Phocaea, who founded Marseille some 25 centuries earlier. Initially, rugby union was the club's most important team sport, and the motto 'Droit au but' came from rugby. Affiliated with the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA) since 1898, football only began to be played by the club in 1902, thanks to English and German people. Playing at the Stade de l'Huveaune, OM won the first Championnat du Littoral in 1904. The club joined the union of professional clubs in 1932.

Historical Dominance and Trophy Cabinet

Olympique de Marseille is the second most decorated French football team with a total of 29 trophies, including 28 major titles. Domestically, they have won nine league titles, one Ligue 2 title, ten Coupe de France, one Coupe Charles Drago, three Coupe de la Ligue, and three Trophée des Champions. The club's first major title was the Coupe de France in 1924, won against FC Sète. They won the French championship in 1929. Their first professional league title came in 1937, decided by goal difference (+30 for Marseille, +17 for Sochaux). The 1942–43 season saw records: 100 goals in 30 matches, including a 20–2 win over Avignon where Aznar scored nine goals. Aznar finished with 56 goals in 38 matches. Marseille won the league again in 1948. Between 1989 and 1992, under Bernard Tapie, they won four consecutive league titles.

European Glory and Continental Rivalries

Olympique de Marseille won the UEFA Champions League in 1993, becoming the first French side to claim the trophy and one of just two French clubs to secure a major European title. Basile Boli scored the only goal against AC Milan in the final held in Munich's Olympic Stadium. This triumph made Didier Deschamps and Fabien Barthez the youngest captain and goalkeeper, respectively, to capture the title. The club had previously been runners-up in the European Cup in 1991, losing on penalties to Red Star Belgrade. They also added the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2005. Marseille were runners-up in the UEFA Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) in 1999, 2004, and 2018. Domestically, they have a long-standing rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain, against whom they contest Le Classique.

Modern Commercial Standing and Brand Value

American businessman Frank McCourt bought 95% of the club's stake in 2016. At the end of the 2023–2024 season, Marseille was listed in the Deloitte Football Money League as the football club with the 19th highest revenue in the world, approximated at €287 million. In 2025, Marseille was 26th in the global ranking by British consultancy organisation Brand Finance in terms of brand value, and 21st in terms of brand strength with a rating AA ('very strong'). The club regularly averages the highest attendance in French football at the Stade Vélodrome.