The professionalism extends to the third tier of French football. On August 8th, next, the Ligue 3 – officially launched on Tuesday, May 12th by the French Football Federation (FFF) – will replace the current National 1. The head of 3F Philippe Diallo described this new professional championship of eighteen clubs as “a package that we are quite happy with.”
His commitment was to create a product that is “innovative, attractive, sustainable, and territorial.” In other words, popular and with a real connection to establish with the supporters of the teams involved. To contribute to this, “the dedicated budget for Ligue 3 will reach 12.3 million euros (compared to 5.8 million in 2025-26), with 70% being directly redistributed to the clubs,” as stated on the Federation’s website.
Among the clubs involved? The SM Caen owned by the Mbappés, Valenciennes, and Paris 13 Atlético, who are already playing at this level in 2025-26. But also Amiens and possibly Bastia, the last in Ligue 2, as well as potentially Cannes and Bordeaux, who hope to return to the professional world at the end of their National 2 season.
As a result of this new Ligue 3 name, the lower leagues are also being renamed: the current National 2 (4th division) will take the name of National 1, and the current National 3 (5th division) will become National 2.
Play-offs at the end of the season
The championship will also change its format: goodbye to the single pool with two promotions and a play-off between a team from Ligue 2. From now on, the top two teams will be promoted directly, but play-offs will be implemented for teams ranked from 3rd to 6th place: the 3rd will play the 6th, while the 5th will face the 4th, and then the two winners will compete in a final. The survivor will then be able to challenge the 16th team in Ligue 2 in a two-way format. Note that the bottom three will be relegated at the end of the season, as is currently the case.
Premium match on Thursday and multiplex on Saturday
The competition will be fully broadcast on Ligue 1+, the platform of the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which already broadcasts elite matches. “A premium flagship match will be broadcast on Thursday at 8:45 pm, using five cameras. It will kick off the Ligue 1+ weekend before a multiplex on Saturday at 3 pm for the other eight matches,” stated Strasbourg President Marc Keller, in charge of shaping this new-look L3.
A trophy in the style of the Bouclier de Brennus
To showcase this new championship, the FFF logically thought about a trophy that could bring a new visual identity. Therefore, the Trophy of France, a kind of shield like the Brennus in Top 14, will be awarded to the Ligue 3 champion. It is an object with high historical value as it used to be the reward given to the winning clubs of the “Trophy of France,” a football tournament organized by the French Interfederal Committee (the ancestor of the FFF) at the beginning of the 20th century. It was previously on display in the Federation’s offices.
Introduction of “challenges” for coaches on refereeing decisions
A “challenge” will allow a coach to request a video review of a decision made by the referee. “The Football Video Support, which is a slightly lightened VAR for Ligue 3 clubs, will allow each coach to request two challenges per match to review a decision made by the referee on specific actions: goal, penalty, red card, and a case of mistaken identity,” detailed Marc Keller. Other rules could be modified to promote game fluidity, with quicker substitutions, or an increase in the number of players on the match sheets (18 like in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, compared to the current 16). The FFF’s idea is to make this Ligue 3 a “laboratory.”
