1. FC Köln was founded in 1948 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, through the merger of two established local clubs — Kölner BC 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07 — bringing together decades of footballing tradition in the Rhineland region.
The club made an immediate impact on German football, winning the national championship in 1962 before becoming a founding member of the Bundesliga in 1963. They wasted no time in making their mark, claiming the inaugural Bundesliga title in the 1963–64 season. Their golden era arrived in the late 1970s under coach Hennes Weisweiler, when the club completed a domestic double in 1977–78 — winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. In total, Köln have won the Bundesliga twice, lifted the DFB-Pokal four times, and reached the UEFA Cup Final in 1986, where they fell to Real Madrid.
From the 1990s onward, the club entered a prolonged period of instability, earning the label of a "yo-yo club" as they alternated repeatedly between the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. A notable revival came in the mid-2010s, culminating in a fifth-place Bundesliga finish in 2016–17 and a return to European competition for the first time in 25 years. However, relegation struggles returned in subsequent seasons. Most recently, Köln won the 2024–25 2. Bundesliga title to secure promotion back to the top flight.
Köln's identity is defined by their passionate fanbase, their Billy Goat mascot Hennes, and their fierce Rhine derby rivalry with Borussia Mönchengladbach. They also contest rivalries with Fortuna Düsseldorf and Bayer Leverkusen. The club plays home matches in white and red at the RheinEnergieStadion.