Football Club de Metz (French pronunciation: [mɛs] ) is a French association football club based in Metz, Lorraine. Founded in 1932, in the 2026–27 season the club will compete in the Ligue 2, following relegation from the Ligue 1. They play their home matches at Stade Saint-Symphorien located within the city. The team is currently managed by Luc Holtz. Despite never winning the top flight, they have won the Coupe de France twice and the Coupe de la Ligue twice.
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History
Metz was founded on 23 March 1932 by the amalgamation of two amateur athletic clubs, and shortly thereafter became a professional team; it is one of the oldest professional football teams in France. Its roots trace back further, to the SpVgg Metz club, formed in 1905 when the city of Metz was part of the German Empire. SpVgg played in the tier-one Westkreis-Liga for a season in 1913–14, before the outbreak of the First World War stopped all play. Some players of this club were part of the Cercle Athlétique Messin in 1919, which went on to become FC Metz in 1932. Messin was a leading club in the Division d'Honneur – Lorraine, taking out league titles in 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1929 and 1931.
The club played in the French second division north from 1933, winning the league in 1935 and earning promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time. The team became a mid-table side in the first division until the outbreak of the war interfered with play once more. FCM did not take part in the top-tier regional competitions in 1939–40.
During World War II, due to the Moselle département being annexed by Germany, the club had to play under the Germanised name of FV Metz in the Gauliga Westmark. In the three completed seasons of this league from 1941 to 1944, the club finished runners-up each year.
Despite the city of Metz being retaken by allied forces in autumn 1944, the club did not take part in French league football in 1944–45, but returned to Ligue 1 in 1945–46, to come 17th out of 18 clubs. An expansion of the league to 20 clubs meant, the team was not relegated and stayed at the highest level until 1950, when a last place finish ended its Ligue 1 membership. Metz was allowed to stay within Ligue 1 as a special privilege due to its catastrophic situation in the year following the war: the stadium had been damaged, almost beyond repair. The team had to start from scratch once again.
The club rebounded immediately, finishing second in Ligue 2, behind Lyon and returned to the first division. Metz made a strong return to this league, finishing fifth in its first season back. After this, the club once more had to battle against relegation season-by-season, finishing second-last in 1958 and having to return to Ligue 2. It took three seasons in this league before it could manage to return to Ligue 1 in 1961, but lasted for only one year in the top flight. Metz spent the next five seasons at second division level.
Supporters and rivalries
Metz's biggest rivals are Nancy, with whom they contest the Lorraine derby. The other major rivals are Strasbourg.
There are currently two ultras groups: Gradins Populaires Ouest and Horda Frénétik (founded 1997).
Metz has fan friendships with Toulouse, the German clubs Kaiserslautern and Eintracht Trier and the Italian club Vicenza.
Stadium
Metz plays its home matches at Stade Saint-Symphorien, which has a capacity of 25,636. Thus, it is the largest venue dedicated to football in Lorraine.
Crest
Its official colours are grenat (maroon) and white, from which the team derives its nickname Les Grenats. The team's crest features the Lorraine cross, symbolic of the team's regional affiliation, and the dragon called the Graoully, which in local legend was tamed by Saint Clement of Metz.
Youth academy
Metz also gained recognition in France and Europe for its successful youth academy, which produced star players including: Rigobert Song, Robert Pires, Louis Saha, Emmanuel Adebayor, Papiss Cissé, Miralem Pjanić, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mané. The city's proximity to Luxembourg (about 55 km) plays a significant role in the importation of young prospects. The club's board has close ties with the Luxembourgish Football Federation. Nicolas "Nico" Braun, the team's top all-time goalscorer, as well as Pjanić or more recently Chris Philipps, have played in the G-D's amateur leagues before joining "les Grenats".
Honours
Metz has never won the French championship; its best result was a second-place finish in 1998, behind Lens. The title race lasted until the ultimate fixture, however Metz never recovered from a 0–2 loss against Lens on their home turf. Metz won the Coupe de France twice, in 1984 and 1988, the first of these victories enabled it to qualify for the European Cup Winners' Cup where it achieved arguably the team's greatest moment, an upset of Barcelona in the first round of the competition in October 1984. It lost 4–2 at home in the first leg but won 4–1 away in the return leg, thus qualifying 6–5 on aggregate, making Metz unique among the French teams who have beaten Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Metz also won the Coupe de la Ligue twice, in 1986 and 1996, and has made a total of ten appearances in European tournaments.
Ligue 1
Runners-up (1): 1997–98
Ligue 2
Winners (4): 1934–35, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2018–19
Runners-up (4): 1950–51, 1960–61, 1966–67, 2022–23
Coupe de France
Winners (2): 1983–84, 1987–88
Runners-up (1): 1937–38
Coupe de la Ligue
Winners (2): 1985–86, 1995–96
Runners-up (1): 1998–99
UEFA Intertoto Cup
Runners-up (1): 1999
Players
Current squad
As of 11 August 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Notable players
Below are the notable former players who have represented Metz in league and international competition since the club's foundation in 1932. To appear in the section below, a player must have played at least a full season for the club.