Schalke 04

Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 or Schalke, Schalke 04, or abbreviated as S04  is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia.

The "04" in the club's name derives from its formation in 1904. Schalke has long been one of the most popular professional football teams and multi-sports club in Germany, even though the club's heyday was in the 1930s and 1940s. Schalke plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. As of June 2018, the club has 155,000 members, making it the second-largest sports club in Germany and the fourth-largest sports club in the world in terms of membership. 

Founded in 1904, Schalke has won seven German championships, five DFB-Pokals, one DFL-Supercup, and one UEFA Cup. Schalke also succeeded as the first German club to win a cup double in 1937.

Since 2001, Schalke's stadium has been the Veltins-Arena. Schalke holds a long-standing rivalry with Ruhr neighbors Borussia Dortmund, arguably one of the most widespread and well-known rivalries in German football, and matches between the two teams are referred to as the Revierderby.

Schalke was ranked as the 31st-best football team in Europe by UEFA's 2020 UEFA club rankings and ranked 7th-best in 2015 UEFA club rankings.

In terms of operating income, Schalke possesses the seventh-highest of any football club at $64.4 million or £38.2 million (£48 million), and 0 percent debt as of August 2014. Schalke also generates the 14th-highest revenue of any football club, at "$265.6 million or £157.8 million (€198 million)".

In May 2014, Schalke 04 was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 14th-most valuable football club at "£355 million or $599 million (€446 million)", an increase of 16% from the previous year.