Football in France - Cup Competitions

Cup Competitions

The two most important cup competitions in France are the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue. However, several other national cups are targeted at clubs at different levels.

• The Coupe de France is the premier knockout cup competition in French football. It is open to all amateur and professional football clubs in France, including clubs based in the overseas departments and territories. The final is played at the Stade de France and, during the 2007–08 season, celebrated its 90th anniversary.

• The Coupe de la Ligue is the second major cup competition in France. It is known outside of France as the French League Cup and is a knockout league cup competition organised by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. Unlike the Coupe de France, it is only open to professional clubs who are members of the LFP.

• The Trophée des champions is played each July as a one-off match between the Coupe de France winners and the Ligue 1 champions.

• Regional amateur leagues of France organise their own cup competitions that are run by the French Football Federation. For example, the Coupe Bourgogne only features amateur clubs that are based in the region of Bourgogne.

• Youth cups include the Coupe Gambardella, Coupe Nationale, and the Coupe Fédérale. The Coupe Gambardella cup competition held between the under-19s of the French football clubs. The Coupe Nationale holds dual competitions for the under-13 and under-15 teams of football clubs, while the Coupe Fédérale holds a national cup competition for under-16 teams.

• The Coupe de l'Outre-Mer is a football cup competition that was created in 2008. It was designed to have the national football teams of the overseas territories compete against each other.

• Women's football cup competitions in France consists of the Challenge de France, Coupe Nationale, and the Coupe Fédérale. The Challenge de France is the premier cup competition reserved exclusively for French women's football clubs. The competition is open to all professional and non-professional women's teams in the country. The Coupe National holds a youth cup competition for the under-14 teams, while the Coupe Fédérale holds cup competitions for the under-13 and under-16 teams.