FC Metz was founded on 23 March 1932 in Metz, a city in the Lorraine region of northeastern France, through the merger of two amateur athletic clubs. The club's roots, however, stretch back to 1905, when Metz was still part of the German Empire. Within a few years of its modern founding, Metz earned promotion to the top flight of French football, establishing itself as one of the country's older professional clubs.
The club's most decorated era came in the 1980s and 1990s. Metz won the Coupe de France in 1984 and 1988, and the Coupe de la Ligue in 1986 and 1996. The 1984 Coupe de France triumph opened the door to European competition, where Metz produced one of the most memorable upsets in French football history: after losing the first leg 2–4 at home against Barcelona in the Cup Winners' Cup, they won 4–1 at the Camp Nou to advance 6–5 on aggregate. The club came closest to a league title in 1997–98, finishing as Ligue 1 runners-up behind Lens.
Metz has experienced a pattern of promotion and relegation between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 throughout the 2000s and 2010s, even dropping briefly to the third tier in 2012–13. The club returned to Ligue 1 for the 2025–26 season following promotion from Ligue 2.
Off the pitch, Metz is renowned for its youth academy, which has produced world-class talent including Robert Pires, Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Emmanuel Adebayor. The club's fiercest rivalry is the Lorraine derby against Nancy. Known as Les Grenats (The Garnets) for their maroon and white colours, Metz's identity is deeply tied to the Lorraine region, reflected in the Lorraine cross on their crest.