The Championnat National 2, commonly referred to as simply National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur 2 and Championnat National 3, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fifth division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2, Ligue 3, and the National 1. Usually contested by 112 clubs, the Championnat National 3 operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Championnat National 1 and the regional leagues of the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of French football. Seasons run from August to May, with teams in eight groups playing 26 games each totalling 1,456 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.
 | |
| Organising body | FFF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Country | France |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of clubs | 112 (8 groups of 14) |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | National 1 |
| Relegation to | Régional 1 |
| Domestic cup | Coupe de France |
| Current champions | Hauts Lyonnais (2025–26) |
| Website | fff.fr/championnats |
| Current: 2026–27 Championnat National 2 | |
The competition was founded in 1993 as National 3 and lasted for five years before being converted to Championnat de France Amateur 2 in 1998. In 2017, the FFF reorganised amateur football and the restructured 5th level again became Championnat National 3. In 2026, Championnat National 3 became Championnat National 2. Some clubs that participate in the league are semi-professional. The matches in the league attract on average between 200 and 400 spectators per match.
History and format
editThe amateur championship of France was created in 1993 under the name National 3, replacing the former Division 4. The league's debut coincided with the creation of the Championnat National, the third division of French football, which is commonly known as National. For the first three years of the competition, an amateur champion was crowned in France regardless of whether the club was amateur or a reserve team.
In 1998 the competition was renamed Championnat de France Amateur 2 as part of a restructuring of Amateur football. In this guise, the competition saw 112 clubs participate, split into eight parallel groups of 14 with their group affiliation being based on the regional location of the club. The league became open to reserve teams in France and amateur clubs in France and both were eligible for promotion to the Championnat de France Amateur.
2017 to 2023 format
editIn 2017 the FFF reorganised amateur football along the lines of the 2016 reorganisation of the Regions of France, creating Championnat National 2 and Championnat National 3 to replace CFA and CFA2. For National 2 this was in effect just a change of name, whilst National 3 saw a major restructure.[1] This new competition sees 168 clubs participating, in twelve parallel groups directly aligned to the thirteen new regions (Corsica is merged with Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to form a Méditerranee-Corse group). The administration of the league is devolved to the regional leagues on a group by group basis, with the exception of the Méditerranee-Corse group, which is directly managed by the FFF.[2]
During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others in their respective group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 26 games. Teams are ranked by total points. Ties between clubs with equal points are resolved by: a) points gained in games between the two (or more) clubs, b) goal difference in games between the two (or more) clubs, c) overall goal difference, d) goals scored, e) best disciplinary record, f) drawing of lots.[2]
At the end of each season, the winner of each group was promoted to what was then Championnat National 2. If a group winner was prevented from being promoted, or elected not to be promoted, they were replaced by the next best team in the group who were eligible. At a minimum the bottom three teams in each group were relegated to the Regional league's top division. In the case of groups which started a season with more than 14 teams, extra relegation places were added in order to get the league back to 14 teams for the following season. Which groups were given extra relegation places was also dependent on which regions teams relegated from the fourth tier belonged to.[2]
Uncompleted seasons
editRestructuring
editAs part of the restructuring of the French football league system by the French Football Federation between 2022 and 2026, the league was gradually restructured over three seasons from the pre-2023 structure of 168 teams (12 groups of 14) to 154 teams (11 groups of 14) in 2023–24. Future seasons will see 140 teams (10 groups of 14) in 2024–25 and 112 teams (8 groups of 14) in 2025–26.[8]
This change in structure moved the competition away from groups that directly related to the regional leagues that feed Championnat National 3, and also brought the competition back under the direct control of the FFF.
The league changed name to Championnat National 2 ahead of the 2026–27 season, as part of the FFF's decision that also saw Championnat National change name to Ligue 3 and former Championnat National 2 change name to Championnat National 1.
Performance
editTitles per group
edit- 8 groups (1993-2017)
- ↑ The champion was US Roye, second of group B.
- ↑ The champion was US Concarneau, second of group H.
- ↑ The champion was FC Bourg-Péronnas, second of group D.
- ↑ The champion was SC Toulon-Le Las, second of group G.
- 12 regional groups (2017-2023)
Between 2017 et 2023, regional leagues organize their respective group, except for the Corse-Méditerranée group, which stays under the direction of the national federation.
- ↑ The title is not attributed in 2019-2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Transition period (2023-2025)
From the 2023-2024 season onwards, the championship is taken over by the federation. It is initially reduced to 11 groupes, then 10 in 2024-2025, aiming for an 8-group-championship in 2025-2026.
| National 3 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H | Group I | Group J | Group K |
| 2023-2024 | Istres FC | Genêts d'Anglet | Stade Poitevin | Le Poiré-sur-Vie VF | SC Locminé | AS Villers-Houlgate | US Chantilly | FC Balagne | US Thionville Lusitanos | GFA Rumilly-Vallières | AS Saint-Priest |
| 2024-2025 | Aviron bayonnais | FC Chauray | FC Lorient B | FC Borgo | FC dieppois | FC Montlouis | US Lusitanos Saint-Maur | SR Colmar | FC Limonest DSD | FC Rousset SVO | |
- 8 groups (since 2025)
| National 3 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
| 2025-2026 | Tarbes PF | Vendée Poiré Foot | GSI Pontivy | Racing CFF | LOSC Lille B | ESTAC Troyes B | Hauts Lyonnais | Lyon-La Duchère |
| National 2 | ||||||||
| Season | Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
| 2026-2027 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
- Legend
External links
editReferences
edit- ↑ "FFF : National, CFA et CFA 2 muteront en 2017 en National 1, National 2 et National 3". L'Équipe (in French). 28 May 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Reglement du Championnat de National 3 2017–2018" (PDF) (in French). FFF.fr.
- ↑ "French PM's announcement ends Ligue 1 season". ESPN. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ↑ "Arrêt des championnats. Le communiqué officiel de la FFF" (in French). footamateur.fr. 16 April 2020.
- ↑ "Pour les championnats nationaux, ce sera montées et descentes normales !" (in French). footamateur.fr. 16 April 2020.
- ↑ "N2-N3 Voici les Équipes promues et Reléguées" (in French). actufoot.com. 16 April 2020.
- ↑ "La FFF entérine l'arrêt de la saison pour les Championnats amateurs sauf le N2 et la D2 féminine". L'Équipe (in French). 24 March 2021.
- ↑ "National 3. Montées, descentes : la réforme du championnat en détail" (in French). Foot Amateur. 10 May 2022.
- ↑ Quentin Bossé (24 March 2021). "Covid-19. Les Championnats amateurs régionaux et départementaux de football définitivement arrêtés". ouest-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 March 2021..
