Ligue 2: Traffic jam for promotion, Bastia and Amiens all but condemned… What you need to know before the final three matchdays

At three days from the end of the championship, the leader, Troyes, is assured of participating in at least the playoffs.

Published on April 24, 2026 at 06:30

Reading time: 4min

Saint-Etienne, Bastia, and Red Star have a lot at stake at the end of the season in Ligue 2. (MAXPPP)

Get ready, set, go! The final sprint is underway in Ligue 2, with only three days left to play, and everything is still to be decided, whether it’s promotion to Ligue 1, qualification for the playoffs, or relegation. At the start of this final stretch, nine teams can still dream of Ligue 1, while seven are under the threat of relegation to National 1. USL Dunkerque and EA Guingamp are the only two clubs with nothing left to play for.

Direct promotion: Troyes is almost there, Saint-Etienne and Le Mans in the fight

In Troyes, the champagne may already be on ice. And it could be popped as soon as Saturday, April 25. Leading Ligue 2 for many weeks, the Aubois club could be crowned champion on Saturday evening with a victory against their closest rival Saint-Etienne, combined with a loss for Le Mans (3rd) against Grenoble (13th). This would confirm their return to Ligue 1 after three seasons in the second division, and a reprieve in 2024-2025 following the administrative relegation of Girondins de Bordeaux to National 1.

With 61 points, Troyes is guaranteed to at least play in the promotion playoffs in Ligue 1, as they cannot finish below fifth place this season. Following closely behind, AS Saint-Etienne (2nd, 57 points) is also aiming for direct promotion, possibly even through first place. A victory against Troyes on Saturday would bring the Verts within one point of the leaders, in front of an expected record-setting crowd of 39,000 spectators at Geoffroy-Guichard.

But they could be matched by Le Mans (3rd, 57 points), the surprise team of the season, which also has hopes of direct promotion. Behind these three teams, another trio still mathematically has a chance for direct promotion. With 51 points, Stade de Reims (4th), Red Star (5th), and Rodez (6th) have almost no margin for error.

Playoffs: a trio tied, another chasing

While only the top two places guarantee direct promotion to Ligue 1, one of the top three will have to go through the playoffs (not assured for Saint-Etienne and Le Mans). Following them, Stade de Reims, Red Star, and Rodez, although still in the running for direct promotion, are competing for the other two playoff spots.

At the start of the final sprint, Red Star (5th) would face off against Stade de Reims (4th) in the first playoff on Tuesday, May 12. The winner would then go on to play at Le Mans (3rd) in the second playoff on Friday, May 15. The winner of that match would then play a two-leg playoff against the 16th-placed Ligue 1 team (currently AJ Auxerre) on May 21 and 24, with the second match at the elite club’s home ground.

Relegated last season after losing in the playoffs to Metz, Stade de Reims had hopes for direct promotion at the start of the season and is aiming not to miss out. For Rodez and Red Star, direct promotion would be the cherry on top of an exceptional season. Lurking in the background, also relegated from Ligue 1 last year, is Montpellier Hérault (7th, 47 points) hoping to secure fifth place, but no longer controlling their fate. The same goes for FC Annecy (8th, 46 points) and Pau (9th, 45 points), still mathematically in contention.

Relegation: Amiens and Bastia are almost condemned

At the bottom of the table, nothing is certain either. But with 24 points, Amiens SC (18th) and SC Bastia (17th) have no room for error. Just above the relegation zone, Clermont Foot (14th, 30 points) and AS Nancy Lorraine (15th, 30 points) have a six-point lead with only nine left to play. A perfect finish would be needed to avoid relegation outright, which is not impossible, especially for Bastia, who just defeated AS Saint-Etienne and will face Clermont on Friday, April 24.

If direct survival is not achieved, Amiens and Bastia could still secure 16th place, leading to a two-leg playoff against the third-placed team of National 1 on May 19 and 24. Currently, this playoff spot is occupied by Laval (16th, 28 points), who revived their hopes by defeating Dunkerque on Monday, May 20. Consequently, in addition to Nancy and Clermont, Grenoble Foot 38 (13th, 32 points) and US Boulogne Côte d’Opale (12th, 36 points) are also under threat.