Olympique Lyonnais was officially founded on 3 August 1950 by Dr. Albert Trillat and a group of supporters who broke away from the multi-sport club Lyon Olympique Universitaire following disagreements between amateur and professional players. The club's roots trace back further to Racing Club de Lyon, established in 1896. Lyon spent the majority of their early decades in the lower divisions of French football before Jean-Michel Aulas became club president in 1987 and began a long-term restructuring that transformed the club entirely. The first Ligue 1 title arrived in 2002, and Lyon then achieved something that had never been done before or since in French football: seven consecutive league championships between 2002 and 2008. During that same period, midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé died on the pitch during a Confederations Cup semi-final in 2003, and the club retired his number 17 shirt permanently. In European football, Lyon reached the Champions League semi-finals in both 2009/10 and 2019/20.
The 2024/25 season was overshadowed by financial trouble off the pitch. In November 2024, the DNCG, France's football financial watchdog, provisionally relegated Lyon to Ligue 2 at the end of the season due to financial mismanagement, also banning the club from signing players in the January window. The ruling was eventually overturned, but it dominated the season's narrative. Three coaches were used across the campaign, Pierre Sage was dismissed in January, Paulo Fonseca replaced him from 31 January, and Jorge Maciel served as caretaker for Ligue 1 matches from March onwards while Fonseca focused on the Europa League. Lyon finished 6th in Ligue 1 and reached the Europa League quarter-finals. Alexandre Lacazette was the club's top scorer with 19 goals in all competitions. In 2025/26 the club finished 4th in Ligue 1 under Fonseca.
Adidas has been Lyon's kit manufacturer for many years, and their home shirt is built on a white base, a colour that has remained consistent across the club's entire history. The two defining details that recur across Lyon home shirts are a red and blue stripe or panel, referencing the club's founding colours, and design elements drawn from the city of Lyon itself. Recent Adidas home shirts have referenced the Rhône and Saône rivers, the two waterways whose confluence defines the city's geography, through converging vertical stripe details. Many of their shirts come with golden accents.
