Schalke 04 Colors, Facts and History

Schalke 04 history

The club comes from Schalke, a district of Gelsenkirchen, and the 04 in its name marks its founding in 1904. Schalke returned to the Bundesliga after going up from the 2. Bundesliga in 2025-26. Beyond football, members can play handball, basketball or table tennis, try athletics or winter sports, or compete in eSports.

Popularity has never been a problem, even though the peak years came during the 1930s and 1940s. In September 2025 the club counted 210,000 members, third in German football and sixth in the world. Seven German championships and five DFB-Pokals headline the honors, along with two UEFA Intertoto Cups, a UEFA Cup, a DFL-Supercup and a DFB Ligapokal. Back in 1937 Schalke was the first German team to win the double. The fiercest rivalry is with Ruhr neighbor Borussia Dortmund, a fixture called the Revierderby.

Did you know?

• Schalke won Germany's first ever league and cup double in 1937.
• With 210,000 members, Schalke ranks sixth in the world for club membership.
• Schalke 04 also fields an eSports section.