RB Leipzig — formally RasenBallsport Leipzig — was founded on 19 May 2009, when Red Bull GmbH acquired the playing rights of fifth-tier SSV Markranstädt and established a new club in Leipzig with the explicit goal of reaching the Bundesliga. The "RasenBallsport" (literally "lawn ball sport") name is a workaround for German football's "50+1" rule and trademark restrictions on corporate names, while still allowing the iconic "RB" branding. The club plays at the Red Bull Arena, refurbished from the former Zentralstadion in eastern Germany.
Leipzig's rise was unprecedented in German football. The club climbed from the fifth tier to the Bundesliga in just seven seasons, with promotions in 2009-10, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16. RB finished an extraordinary second place in their 2016-17 Bundesliga debut season, qualifying directly for the Champions League — a first for any club's debut Bundesliga campaign. Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl established the club's distinctive high-pressing, high-tempo identity, later refined by Julian Nagelsmann (2019-2021).
Leipzig won their first major silverware with the 2021-22 DFB-Pokal final under Domenico Tedesco, defending the title in 2022-23. Sustained Bundesliga top-four finishes have made RB Leipzig a fixture in European competition. The club's player development pipeline — Timo Werner, Naby Keïta, Dayot Upamecano, Dani Olmo, Joško Gvardiol, Christopher Nkunku, and recently Xavi Simons (on loan) and Benjamin Šeško — has fed elite European clubs. The club remains one of German football's most polarising institutions: admired for its sporting model, opposed by fans of traditional clubs who view the Red Bull project as antithetical to fan-owned football culture. RB Leipzig's regional rivalries with Lokomotive Leipzig and 1. FC Union Berlin reflect this tension.