Professionalism extends to the third tier of French football. On August 8, the Ligue 3 – officially launched on Tuesday, May 12 by the French Football Federation (FFF) – will replace the current National 1. Philippe Diallo, the boss of 3F, described this new professional championship with eighteen clubs as “a baby we are quite happy with”.
His commitment was to create a “innovative, attractive, sustainable and territorial” product. In other words, popular and with a real connection to build with the fans of the teams involved. To contribute to this, “the budget dedicated to Ligue 3 will reach 12.3 million euros (compared to 5.8 million in 2025-26), with 70% to be directly redistributed to the clubs,” as stated on the Federation’s website.
Among the participating clubs? SM Caen owned by the Mbappés, Valenciennes, or Paris 13 Atlético, who already play at this level in 2025-26. But also Amiens and likely Bastia, last in Ligue 2, as well as potentially Cannes and Bordeaux, hoping to return to the professional world after their National 2 season.
As a result of this new name change to Ligue 3, the lower leagues are also renamed: the current National 2 (4th division) takes on the name of National 1, and the current National 3 (5th division) becomes National 2.
Play-offs at the end of the season
The championship will also change its format: no more single pool with two promotions and a relegation playoff against a Ligue 2 team. Now, the top two teams will go up directly but play-offs will be set up 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 challenge the 16th Ligue 2 team in a two-legged match. Note that the bottom three will be relegated at the end of the season, as is currently the case.
Premium fixture on Thursday and a multiplex on Saturday
The competition will be fully broadcast on Ligue 1+, the platform of the Professional Football League (LFP), which already airs 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,” explained Strasbourg President Marc Keller, in charge of configuring this new-look L3.
A trophy in the style of the Bouclier de Brennus
To highlight this new championship, the FFF naturally thought of 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 was the reward given to the winning clubs of the “Trophy of France,” a football tournament organized by the French Federal Interfederal Committee (the precursor to the FFF) at the beginning of the 20th century. It was previously on display at the Federation’s offices.
Introduction of “challenges” for coaches on referee decisions
A “challenge” allowing a coach to request a video review of a decision made by the referee will also be implemented. “The Football Video Support, which is a slightly simplified 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: goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity,” detailed Marc Keller. Other rules could be modified to favor the fluidity of the game, with faster substitutions or an increase in the number of players on the match sheets (18 as in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, compared to only 16 currently). The FFF’s idea is to make this Ligue 3 a “laboratory.”
