Vissel Kobe, officially known as Vissel Kobe Football Club, was established in 1966 and is located in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
On January 1, 1995, the team was officially established under the name "Vissel Kobe". This name cleverly combines the meanings of "Victory" and "Vessel", reflecting the characteristics of Kobe as a port city and embodying the team's pursuit of victory.
After being promoted to the J.League in 1997, the team filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003 due to mismanagement and was subsequently acquired by the Rakuten Group. During this period, the team experienced multiple ups and downs with promotions and relegations, but began to rise after returning to J1 from J2 in 2013. The team gained fame by signing world-class stars such as Podolski, Iniesta, and Villa, and achieved its best-ever record by winning both the Emperor's Cup and the Japanese Super Cup in 2020. In 2023, this former 'yo-yo' team made history by winning the J1 League championship, becoming the first legendary team in Japanese football to start from the third tier and ultimately reach the top.