The Executive Committee of the French Football Federation, meeting on Tuesday, May 12, officially announced the launch of the new professional Ligue 3 from the 2026-27 season, marking a major milestone in the structuring of French football.
The professional Ligue 3 will start next August. This new championship, reflecting a campaign commitment of FFF President Philippe Diallo, has been long-awaited by clubs.
It follows a precise roadmap: delivering a financially sustainable championship, attractive with a quality product, territorial by strengthening the local roots of clubs within their ecosystem, and innovative with the implementation of new measures.
Most of these measures will be applied from the start of the championship, on Saturday, August 8. Others, such as those related to financial regulatory mechanisms, French training valuation, or the prohibition of synthetic fields, will be implemented from the 2027-28 season.
For the FFF, this is a major milestone. It is the first time that the French Football Federation will organize a professional male championship. The implementation of this project, led by Marc Keller and Baptiste Malherbe, has involved wide consultation with all stakeholders since January 2025.
“This is a historic moment, a very important time for our Federation with the establishment of this elite male championship directly managed by the FFF,” said Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation.
“We wanted to create this Ligue 3 in a new dynamic, and we have achieved a fully developed product co-built with the clubs,” added Marc Keller, a member of the executive committee and president of RC Strasbourg Alsace.
The professional Ligue 3 will feature a competition format designed to maintain the league’s integrity throughout the season. It will consist of 18 clubs playing in a home-and-away format over 34 matchdays. At the end of the season, promotion and relegation spots will be determined through playoffs.
To support the new Ligue 3, the FFF will change the names of lower national divisions. The current National 2 will become National 1, and National 3 will become National 2 starting from the 2026-27 season.
Ligue 1+ has been chosen as the exclusive broadcaster for the Ligue 3 for the next three seasons. All championship matches will be aired on Ligue 1+.
The Ligue 3 aims to strengthen governance, implement financial regulatory mechanisms, and enhance French training. It will also enforce the use of natural or hybrid grass pitches from the 2027-28 season onwards.
A new visual identity for the championship, featuring the “Terrain de rencontres” (“Meeting Grounds”) tagline, will be introduced, along with a new “Trophée de France” trophy for the champion.
The FFF will deploy a digital strategy dedicated to Ligue 3 to accompany its launch and development, leveraging existing platforms and engaging with fans to promote the league’s visibility and growth.
