Le Havre AC

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

Contrary to what the club has long claimed, Le Havre AC was not founded in 1872. It was in 1884 that a group of British residents formed Le Havre Athlétique, which played a hybrid form of football, a cross between rugby and association football, called "combination". Association football began being played in Le Havre in 1894.^[3][4]

In 1899, Le Havre became the first club from outside Paris to become French football champions. At the time the championship was organised by the USFSA. After being awarded a win over Iris Club Lillois in the semi-final by walkover, they were awarded the title after also receiving a walkover in the final against Club Français.^[5] They would also win the following year, with the final being a "re-match" of the forfeited 1899 final.

The club has a youth investment program,^{[citation needed]}. A large amount of young players have gone on to play at international level including Benjamin Mendy, Ibrahim Ba, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Lassana Diarra, Riyad Mahrez, Steve Mandanda, Vikash Dhorasoo, Paul Pogba, and Dimitri Payet.

The club was on the receiving end of some high-profile illegal transfers, by which Charles N'Zogbia, Matthias Lepiller and Paul Pogba were signed by other clubs, allegedly without the proper compensation being paid.^{[citation needed]} The first two were arbitrated by FIFA, who ordered Newcastle United and Fiorentina to pay training compensation.

In the 2022–23 Ligue 2, Le Havre finished top of the league table to win their sixth title in the division and secure promotion to the Ligue 1 for the first time since 2008.^[6]

Le Havre is known as 'les ciel et marine' in France, which translates as 'the sky and navy blues'. These colours were chosen by the club's English founders as they were those of their alma maters, the universities of Cambridge and Oxford: the anthem of the club is played to the melody of "God Save the King" to mark the English origins of the club:

"A jamais le premier
de tous les clubs français
ô H.A.C.
Fiers de tes origines
Fils d'Oxford et Cambridge
deux couleurs font notre prestige
Ciel et marine!"

English translation:

"The first ever
of all French clubs
The H.A.C
Proud of your roots
Son of Oxford and Cambridge
two colours make our prestige
(the colours of the) sky and the sea!"

Current squad

As of 16 July 2026^[7]

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player 10 MF  SUI Felix Mambimbi 11 FW  FRA Godson Kyeremeh 13 DF  MLI Fodé Doucouré 14 MF  SEN Rassoul Ndiaye 15 DF  JPN Ayumu Seko 17 MF  JPN Kaito Mizuta 18 DF  FRA Yanis Zouaoui 20 FW  FRA Noam Obougou 23 DF  FRA Vincent Sasso 24 MF  CIV Guy-Noël Zohouri 25 FW  TAN Mbwana Samatta 26 MF  FRA Simon Ebonog

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 FW  FRA Enzo Koffi 29 DF  FRA Stephan Zagadou 32 DF  FRA Timothée Pembélé 50 GK  FRA Paul Argney 77 GK  COD Lionel Mpasi 78 MF  FRA Daren Mosengo 99 GK  SEN Mory Diaw — MF  FRA Mokrane Bentoumi — MF  FRA Ismaïl Bouneb — FW  FRA Élysée Logbo — FW  JPN Sōta Nakamura (on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima)

Close

Nationals

• Ligue 2 (French 2nd Division)
  • Winners (6): 1938, 1959, 1985, 1991, 2008, 2023
  • Runners-up (1): 1950
• Coupe de France (French Cup)
  • Winners (1): 1959
  • Runners-up (1): 1920
• Trophée des champions (French Super Cup)
  • Winners (1): 1959

Friendlies

• USFSA Championnat
  • Winners (3): 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1918–19
• Challenge International du Nord
  • Winners (1): 1900
• Coupe Nationale
  • Winners (2): 1918, 1919