Lorient Football Club (abbreviated as "Lorient", English name: FC Lorient) was founded in 1926 and is a professional football club located in Lorient, Brittany, France. It was originally named Football Club Lorientais and was established by Mrs. Cuissard, a shop customer from Saint-Étienne, and her son Joseph. Initially, it was an amateur team participating in regional leagues until it turned professional in 1957, starting from Ligue 2.
Lorient's league journey has been full of ups and downs, experiencing multiple promotions and relegations. They first ascended to Ligue 1 in 1998 but were quickly relegated. After returning to the top league in 2006, they managed to establish themselves for a time. In 2020, they successfully promoted again and after competing in Ligue 1 for four seasons, they unfortunately were relegated in 2024. Lorient has shown great resilience, making a strong comeback as the Ligue 2 champions in the recently concluded 2024-25 season, returning to the Ligue 1 stage in the 2025-26 season.
Lorient has a relatively dim history, spending most of its time as an amateur club. The highlight was winning the national championship in 1995, and perhaps the most glorious moment came in 2002 when they won the French Cup, followed by a brief appearance in European competitions the next year.
Lorient is renowned in French football for its excellent youth training system, often referred to as the 'cradle of stars'. It has produced many well-known players such as André-Pierre Gignac, Laurent Koscielny, and Matteo Guendouzi, with many young talents moving on to top clubs from here.