Gamba Osaka were founded in 1980 as the football club of Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic). The name "Gamba" means "leg" in Italian and is also a nod to the Japanese word "ganbaru" (to persevere). While not part of the original J.League launch in 1993, the club gained promotion in 1994 and has since established itself as one of Osaka's premier clubs.

In 2005, Gamba claimed their first J1 League title. Three years later, they conquered Asia by winning the AFC Champions League in 2008, becoming one of only a handful of Japanese clubs to lift the continent's most prestigious trophy. Their name became known across all of Asia.

A shock relegation to J2 came in 2012, but Gamba bounced back in spectacular fashion. After winning the J2 title in 2013 for immediate promotion, they went on to achieve the domestic treble in 2014 — the J1 League, J.League Cup, and Emperor's Cup. Only Kashima Antlers in 2000 had previously accomplished this feat, and the back-to-back promotion-then-championship was only the second instance after Kashiwa Reysol in 2011.

Opened in 2016, this football-specific stadium sits within Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Suita City with a capacity of 39,694. The entire construction cost of approximately 14.1 billion yen was funded through donations and the completed stadium was gifted to Suita City — a groundbreaking model as Japan's first major stadium built entirely through public fundraising.

The compact design brings fans remarkably close to the pitch, with the goal-end stands creating an intense atmosphere. The move from the old Expo Stadium gave Gamba an internationally-standard home befitting their ambitions.

Jens Wissing was appointed as head coach for the 2026 season. The 38-year-old German served as an assistant coach at PSV Eindhoven, SL Benfica, and Red Bull Salzburg, building a reputation as a tactician with expertise in high-pressing systems and youth development. He has declared his ambition to build "brave, active, and united football" at the club.