A fifth division side in 2000, the club rapidly advanced through the German football league system with the financial backing of alumnus and software mogul Dietmar Hopp, and in 2008 Hoffenheim was promoted to the top tier Bundesliga.

In the 2017–18 season, Hoffenheim finished third in the Bundesliga (its best to date), qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time.

His contributions generated almost immediate results: in 2000 Hoffenheim finished first in the Verbandsliga and was promoted to the fourth-tier Oberliga Baden-Württemberg.

Team owner Hopp preferred Heidelberg, but could not overcome the resistance of local firm Wild, which had already reserved the site of the planned stadium for its new production facilities.

In 2006, the club sought to improve its squad and technical staff by bringing in players with several years of Bundesliga experience, most notably Jochen Seitz and Tomislav Marić, and young talents like Sejad Salihović, while signing manager Ralf Rangnick, who managed Bundesliga teams such as SSV Ulm 1846, VfB Stuttgart, Hannover 96 and Schalke 04, to a five-year contract.

As a result of their second-place finish, they received automatic promotion to the Bundesliga, the highest tier in German football, after playing in the 2.

[14][15][16] In the 2014–15 Bundesliga, the club came very close to qualifying for the Europa League, with just two points separating them from Borussia Dortmund, who were in 7th place.

[18] In the 2016–17 season, new coach Julian Nagelsmann took over,[19] beginning to recruit several new players, including Andrej Kramarić, Kerem Demirbay and Sandro Wagner.

[33] The 2018–19 season was disappointing for Hoffenheim, as they finished bottom of their Champions League group with only 3 draws and 3 losses whilst playing Manchester City, Lyon and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim made their ambitions clear in 2006, when the club's management decided to begin building the new 30,150 seat Rhein-Neckar-Arena.

They opened their first season in the Bundesliga at the 26,022 capacity Carl-Benz-Stadion in Mannheim, and played their first match in their new stadium on 31 January 2009.

On 16 August 2011, the club released a statement regarding complaints of a loudspeaker that was strategically placed under away fans during a home game against Dortmund.

On 29 February 2020, Bayern Munich supporters unfurled an offensive banner aimed at Hoffenheim owner Dietmar Hopp, resulting in the match being suspended with less than 15 minutes left to play.

FC Union Berlin was stopped at the 44th minute of play due to derogatory banners once again being unfurled, one of which showed Hopp under crosshairs.

[38] Hoffenheim also have a partnership agreement with a Ghana premier League side Accra Hearts Of Oak.