FC MetzOne October evening in 1984 sums up the character of FC Metz better than any statistic. In the first round of the European Cup Winners' Cup, the Lorraine side lost 2–4 at home to FC Barcelona, and the return leg looked like a formality. At the Camp Nou, however, Metz won 4–1 and went through 6–5 on aggregate. It remains the club's greatest European achievement, and the Coupe de France it won that spring had earned it a place in the competition.
The club was founded on 23 March 1932 through the merger of two amateur sports clubs and soon turned professional, which makes it one of the oldest professional football clubs in France. Its roots go back further still, to SpVgg Metz, formed in 1905 when the city belonged to the German Empire. That borderland identity is part of the story of FC Metz to this day.
Metz play their home matches at the Stade Saint-Symphorien, which opened on 11 September 1923, nine years before the club was founded. It stands on an island in the Moselle, in Longeville-lès-Metz on the edge of the city, and takes its name from Saint Symphorian, after whom the island is also named. Its construction was driven by Maurice Michaux, head of the local athletics association. The ground has been extended and modernised many times, and Metz supporters are known for turning the areas behind the goals into standing sections for the livelier matches.
The club's best period came in the 1980s under two former Metz players, the Pole Henryk Kasperczak and then Marcel Husson. On 11 May 1984 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Metz beat AS Monaco 2–0 after extra time, with goals from Philippe Hinschberger and Tony Kurbos. It was the first major trophy in the club's history; the club had lost the 1938 final. Four years later, in 1988, Metz won the Coupe de France again. In the 1988–89 Cup Winners' Cup they were knocked out by RSC Anderlecht, who won the tie 5–1 on aggregate. The club added the Coupe de la Ligue in 1996 and has made ten appearances in European competitions in total. Metz have never won the French league title.
The club has long been known for its work with young players. As early as the 1970s, Patrick Battiston, the France international remembered for the dramatic 1982 World Cup semi-final, came through its ranks. That tradition helps the team stay competitive despite more modest resources than the wealthiest clubs.
Modern Metz have moved between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. The side in maroon, the colour that gave them the nickname Les Grenats, reached the top flight after winning Ligue 2 in 2014 and 2019, and in later years they have been relegated and promoted more than once. The Lorraine derby against AS Nancy remains a fixture where sporting rivalry mixes with regional pride. FC Metz is a club with a solid tradition, a recognisable symbol of its region, and a team capable of surprising even the biggest names.