Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is a French football club founded in 1970 through a merger between Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain. The club’s visual identity has evolved through seven distinct logos since its founding, with the current circular crest featuring the Eiffel Tower and a fleur-de-lis as its central elements.
Design and History
The first PSG logo, used from 1970 to 1972, depicted a blue ball divided into hexagons with a red boat, a symbol borrowed from the civic emblem of the city of Paris. In 1972, the Eiffel Tower appeared in the club logo for the first time, set in red against a blue background with a white crest frame. This version also included a royal cradle and a lily, elements referencing Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the birthplace of King Louis XIV. The copyright of this logo belongs to Daniel Hechter, the fashion designer and club patron of that era. From 1982 to 1990, the crest was modified to incorporate the silhouette of the club’s stadium, the Parc des Princes. [1]
In 1992, following Canal+’s entry as a major shareholder, the club adopted a radically different design: three rectangles (two blue and one red) bearing the letters P, S and G, with a black banner below reading “Paris Saint Germain” in white sans-serif type. This logo was designed by artistic director Étienne Robial. Fan opposition led to its abandonment in 1996, when the club restored the Eiffel Tower emblem with modifications, adding the founding date (1970) at the bottom and a new sans-serif bold wordmark around the upper perimeter. [1] [2]
In 2002, the crest was refined again: the background turned entirely blue and letter spacing was reduced. A gold frame was added in 2010 to mark the club’s 40th anniversary. [1]
The most significant recent redesign came in 2013, two years after Qatar Sports Investments acquired the club. The new logo, created by the design agency Dragon Rouge, was introduced for the 2013-2014 season. According to the agency, the design sought to “bring the brand to Paris’ standards of excellence, while respecting its DNA and history.” The redesign made “Paris” the dominant word at the top of the crest, with the Eiffel Tower at the heart of the shield. The royal cradle was removed, and the founding date of 1970 was dropped. The fleur-de-lis remained at the base, keeping the Saint-Germain reference. Club director Jean-Claude Blanc explained that the cradle was removed because many people did not understand its meaning, and the 1970 date was eliminated because it did not compare favorably with older European clubs. The colors were made brighter with a touch of gold. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Eiffel Tower represents the Paris half of the club’s identity, making the capital’s most famous landmark the visual anchor of the badge. The fleur-de-lis is the heraldic emblem of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the town that provided the other half of the 1970 merger. The red and blue colors are drawn from the arms of the city of Paris. [3] [1]
Earlier versions of the crest also included a cradle beneath the Eiffel Tower, a reference to Louis XIV, who was born at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1638. This element was removed in the 2013 redesign, leaving the fleur-de-lis to carry the Saint-Germain reference on its own. [7]
Following the club’s UEFA Champions League victories in 2025 and 2026, PSG added two gold stars above the crest for the 2026-27 season. The stars feature a custom design incorporating Eiffel Tower silhouette elements, commemorating the back-to-back European titles. [8]
Typography and Design
The 2013 redesign by Dragon Rouge organized the crest on three levels. The word “Paris” appears in large white capitals arcing across the top, with the Eiffel Tower in red at the center. “Saint-Germain” runs in smaller type at the base, alongside the fleur-de-lis. According to the agency, the typography was inspired by major Parisian brands, and the colors were lightened with a subtle gold accent. The design won the Gold prize in the Logo Design category at the Clio Sports Awards in New York. [3] [9]
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