FC Metz, abbreviated as "Metz", was established in 1932 and is a football club located in Metz, Lorraine, nicknamed "Les Grenats". It was formed by the merger of two amateur sports clubs and soon became a professional team. It is one of the oldest professional football teams in France. Its predecessor dates back to the founding of the Metz Football Club in Germany in 1905.
Metz is known as a "yo-yo club" in Ligue 1, having first been promoted to Ligue 1 in 1935, and has since experienced multiple fluctuations between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. The longest stay in the top division was from 1967 to 2001, lasting several decades. The club's most glorious moment in European competition occurred in the 1984-85 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where they overturned a 2-4 first-leg defeat with a stunning 4-1 away victory to eliminate Barcelona in the second leg.
Entering the 21st century, Metz continued to experience frequent promotions and relegations, dropping to Ligue 2 in 2001, 2006, 2012 (to the third division), 2018, and 2022, but always managed to bounce back quickly, achieving promotion in 2002, 2014 (returning to Ligue 2 and then to Ligue 1 the following year), 2019, and 2023. They were relegated from Ligue 1 again in the 2023-24 season. This cycle of promotion and relegation has become a hallmark of the club.
Metz has achieved good results in the development of young players, with its established youth academy gaining recognition in France and Europe, producing numerous star players.