Ligue 1: FC Nantes assured of relegation to Ligue 2 after defeat against Lens

Nantes to Exit Ligue 1 After 14 Consecutive Seasons at the Top

Published on May 8, 2026 at 22:41 • 1 min read

The Canaries are set to leave the elite football league in France after 14 consecutive seasons. Any result other than a victory meant relegation for FC Nantes. They failed to secure a win against league runners-up Lens on Friday, May 8. Beaten 1-0 by the stronger opponents, the Nantes players are now guaranteed a direct qualification for the next Champions League.

Young Mezian Mesloub (16 years old) sealed Nantes’ fate just eighteen seconds after his first appearance in Ligue 1 (79th minute). With just one more round to go in the championship and three points up for grabs, Vahid Halilhodzic’s team is five points behind the current playoff spot holder, AJ Auxerre.

This news marks a seismic shift in French football, as FC Nantes has been a part of the elite league since the 2013-2014 season without interruption. The eight-time French champions had recently returned to European competition by participating in the Europa League in 2022-2023 after winning the French Cup the previous season. Like FC Metz, who were mathematically relegated last week, Nantes will now play in the Ligue 2 next season.

This downfall comes after a completely unsuccessful season that saw three different coaches: Luis Castro, Ahmed Kantari, and Vahid Halilhodzic. The strategy of changing coaches did not work, as the Canaries only managed to gather nine points in their last 16 matches, the opposite of a wake-up call.

On the other hand, RC Lens delays Paris Saint-Germain’s title celebration. Even if they win against Brest on Sunday, Luis Enrique’s team will not be mathematically guaranteed the title. Lens will have another chance to delay the Parisians’ triumph when they face off at Bollaert next Wednesday.