Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC Lille) was founded on 23 September 1944 through the merger of two earlier clubs from northern France: Olympique Lillois and SC Fives. The new club inherited Olympique Lillois's red, white and blue colours and built a base in the industrial north of the country. After playing for decades at the historic Stade Grimonprez-Jooris, Lille moved to the modern Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2012, capacity 50,186.
Lille's two modern title-winning eras came against the dominant Paris Saint-Germain. The 2010-11 league-and-cup Double under Rudi Garcia was a fairy-tale, with Eden Hazard (academy product) the standout star alongside Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy and Gervinho. A decade later, in 2020-21, Christophe Galtier's Lille pulled off the same feat: ending PSG's domestic dominance with a thrilling final-day Ligue 1 title, with Burak Yılmaz, Renato Sanches, Sven Botman and Jonathan David starring. Four Ligue 1 titles in total place Lille well within French football's elite tier.
Lille's youth academy is among France's most prolific. Eden Hazard's pre-Chelsea years; Mike Maignan (Milan), Lucas Chevalier (current goalkeeper), Lucas Digne, Adrien Rabiot, and 2024-25 Ligue 1 talents have emerged from the system. The Northern Derby (Derby du Nord) against RC Lens — a 60-kilometre rivalry between the historic mining and textile cities — is one of French football's most fervent fixtures. The club's ownership has been led by Spanish-Luxembourg businessman Olivier Létang since 2020, navigating financial challenges while maintaining sporting competitiveness.