Coupe de France facts for kids
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| Organising body | French Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1917 |
| Region | France |
| Number of teams | 8,506 |
| Qualifier for | UEFA Europa League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Trophée des Champions |
| Current champions | Paris Saint-Germain (16th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Paris Saint-Saint-Germain (16 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | France Télévisions beIN Sports |
| Website | FFF – Coupe de France |
The Coupe de France, also known as the French Cup, is a big knockout football competition in France. It's organized by the French Football Federation (FFF).
This exciting tournament started in 1917. Any football club in France can join, whether they are amateur (play for fun) or professional (play for money). This includes clubs from France's overseas territories.
For its first two years, the competition was called the Coupe Charles Simon. This was to honor Charles Simon, a French sportsman who helped create the FFF. He sadly died in World War I.
The final match is played at the Stade de France. The team that wins the Coupe de France gets to play in the UEFA Europa League. They also get a spot in the Trophée des Champions match. There's also a similar competition for women's football called the Coupe de France Féminine.
The Coupe de France can be tough for big clubs to win. This is because of random draws and single matches (no replays). Amateur clubs often get an advantage. If a smaller, lower-league team plays a bigger, professional team, the professional team usually has to play away from home.
Even with this advantage, only three amateur clubs have reached the final since 1932. These were Calais RUFC in 2000, US Quevilly in 2012, and Les Herbiers VF in 2018.
Two clubs from outside the top league (Ligue 1) have won the cup. These are Le Havre in 1959 and Guingamp in 2009. The current champions are Paris Saint-Germain. They won the 2024–25 competition by beating Reims.
Contents
History of the French Cup
The Coupe de France was created on January 15, 1917. It was started by the French Interfederal Committee (CFI), which later became the French Football Federation. Henri Delaunay, a key person in the federation, pushed for the idea.
The competition was open to all clubs, both amateur and professional. At first, some major clubs didn't like this idea. They thought only top clubs should be allowed to enter. But the federation insisted that all clubs could join.
Because it was open to everyone, the first competition had 48 clubs. By 1948, this number grew to 1,000. Today, more than 7,000 clubs take part!
To handle so many teams, the federation added early rounds starting in the 1919–20 season. Now, the competition has eight regional rounds. Some regions even have up to ten rounds.
The first team to win the Coupe de France was Olympique de Pantin. They beat FC Lyon 3–0 in Paris in 1917. About 2,000 people watched the game. The next year, the final moved to the Parc des Princes. This stadium attracted 10,000 fans.
The final match was played at different stadiums in its early years. It was at Stade Pershing from 1920 to 1924. Then it moved to the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes for ten years. In 1938, it returned to the Parc des Princes. After 1942, the final stayed at the Parc des Princes permanently. This was after it was made bigger.
Amateur Clubs and Big Upsets
There are many more amateur clubs than professional ones in France. This means the competition often has surprising results. The best performance by an amateur club is often recognized with the Petit Poucet Plaque.
One of the biggest upsets happened in 1957. An Algerian club called SCU El Biar beat Stade de Reims. Reims was a very strong team with famous players.
A more recent amateur success was in the 1999–2000 competition. Championnat de France amateur club Calais RUFC reached the final. The Calais team was made up of regular people like doctors and office workers.
Calais started in the 5th round. They beat several professional clubs like Lille and Bordeaux. They played all their matches at home from the Round of 64. In the final, they lost 2–1 to Nantes, even though they scored first.
Stadiums and Rules
Professional clubs sometimes complain about the advantages amateur clubs get. One big complaint is about where matches are played. Coupe de France rules say the first team drawn gets to host the game. However, if the second team drawn is two levels below the first, then the second team gets to host.
Professional clubs have complained that amateur stadiums are not always in good condition. This led to the professional clubs forming their own cup, the Coupe de la Ligue.
Recently, amateur clubs have started playing their Coupe de France matches in bigger stadiums. They do this to earn more money from ticket sales.
The winning team gets to keep the Coupe de France trophy for one year. They display it at their club headquarters. Then they return it to the French Football Federation. In the early 1980s, the cup was stolen but was quickly found.
Since 1927, the President of France has always attended the final. They present the trophy to the winning team's captain. Gaston Doumergue was the first French president to do this.
How the Competition Works
The Coupe de France is a knockout tournament. This means if a team loses, they are out of the competition. Teams are drawn randomly for each round. Each match is a single game. If the score is a draw, the teams go straight to penalty shootouts.
Before 1967, there were no extra time or penalty shootouts. Instead, if a match was a draw, the teams would play a replay game. This changed after three straight draws between Olympique Lyonnais and an amateur club. The federation had to flip a coin to decide who would go through!
For the 1968–69 season, extra time was added. Two years later, penalty shootouts were introduced. After the 1974–75 season, replays were stopped completely.
Rounds and Teams
There are 14 rounds in total. However, the number of rounds can change depending on the region in France. This helps reduce travel costs for teams. Each region sends a certain number of clubs to the 7th round.
Professional clubs join the competition in the 7th round. After that, all clubs are drawn against each other randomly. This happens no matter which region they are from.
Teams from France's overseas departments and territories also take part. Places like Guadeloupe and Martinique have their own knockout competitions. The winners then get to enter the main Coupe de France.
The team that wins the Coupe de France gets a spot in the UEFA Europa League. If the winner has already qualified for the UEFA Champions League through their league performance, the Europa League spot goes to the next highest team in the league. Overseas teams can also qualify for UEFA competitions.
Format for the 2021–22 Coupe de France
- In the first two rounds, teams from local district and regional leagues join.
- National 3 teams enter at the third round stage.
- National 2 teams enter at the fourth round stage.
- National teams enter at the fifth round stage.
- Ligue 2 teams enter at the seventh round stage.
- Ligue 1 teams (the top professional league) enter at the round of 64 stage.
Player Numbers
In Coupe de France matches, players usually wear shirt numbers from 1 to 20. The starting players wear numbers 1 to 11. However, from the quarter-finals onwards, players can wear their usual club squad numbers.
Overseas Teams in the Cup
The Coupe de France opened up to overseas teams starting in the 1961–62 season.
- In the 1974–75 season, Golden Star from Martinique was the first overseas team to beat a team from mainland France. They reached the round of 64.
- In the 1988–89 season, Le Geldar de Kourou was the first overseas team to reach the round of 32.
- More recently, JS Saint-Pierroise (in 2019–20) and Club Franciscain (in 2020–21) also reached the round of 32.
Sponsors of the Coupe de France
The Coupe de France doesn't have one main sponsor. Instead, sponsors of the French Football Federation get to show their logos on the teams' kits. Some of these sponsors include SFR, Caisse d'Épargne, Crédit Agricole, Carrefour, LG, Hyundai, and Coca-Cola.
Coupe de France Records
As of 2021, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) holds the record for the most Coupe de France titles with sixteen wins. PSG and Marseille have played in the most finals, with nineteen appearances each.
PSG has won the cup and another major trophy (the Coupe de la Ligue) in the same season seven times. Marseille is one of four clubs that have lost two finals in a row.
The Île-de-France region, where Paris is located, has produced the most Coupe de France champions (25 wins). This is partly due to the early success of Parisian clubs and PSG's strong performance.
Managers Guy Roux and André Cheuva have both won the Coupe de France four times. The players with the most titles are Marquinhos and Marco Verratti, who each have six wins.
Éric Pécout of Nantes and Jean-Pierre Papin have both scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a final. In 1947, Roger Vandooren scored the fastest goal in a final. He scored after just 29 seconds for Lille in their 2–0 win over Strasbourg.
Media Coverage
France
The Coupe de France matches are shown on French TV. Currently, France Télévisions (a public broadcaster) and Eurosport have agreements to show the games. The final match is also shown on France 2.
Free TV Channels
| Television channel | Period |
|---|---|
| RTF | 1955–1964 |
| ORTF | 1964–1975 |
| France Télévisions | 1975–1984 |
| 2006–2026 | |
| TF1 | 1984–2006 |
Pay TV Channels
| Television channel | Period |
|---|---|
| Canal+ | 1984–2000 |
| Eurosport | 1996–2022 |
| beIN Sports | 2022–2026 |
Winners
Performance by Club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | 16 | 5 | 1982, 1983, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025 | 1985, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2019 |
| Marseille | 10 | 9 | 1924, 1926, 1927, 1935, 1938, 1943, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1989 | 1934, 1940, 1954, 1986, 1987, 1991, 2006, 2007, 2016 |
| Saint-Étienne | 6 | 4 | 1962, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977 | 1960, 1981, 1982, 2020 |
| Lille | 6 | 3 | 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1955, 2011 | 1939, 1945, 1949 |
| Monaco | 5 | 5 | 1960, 1963, 1980, 1985, 1991 | 1974, 1984, 1989, 2010, 2021 |
| Lyon | 5 | 4 | 1964, 1967, 1973, 2008, 2012 | 1963, 1971, 1976, 2024 |
| RC Paris | 5 | 3 | 1936, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1949 | 1930, 1950, 1990 |
| Red Star | 5 | 1 | 1921, 1922, 1923, 1928, 1942 | 1946 |
| Bordeaux | 4 | 6 | 1941, 1986, 1987, 2013 | 1943, 1952, 1955, 1964, 1968, 1969 |
| Nantes | 4 | 6 | 1979, 1999, 2000, 2022 | 1966, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1993, 2023 |
| Auxerre | 4 | 2 | 1994, 1996, 2003, 2005 | 1979, 2015 |
| Rennes | 3 | 4 | 1965, 1971, 2019 | 1922, 1935, 2009, 2014 |
| Strasbourg | 3 | 3 | 1951, 1966, 2001 | 1937, 1947, 1995 |
| Nice | 3 | 2 | 1952, 1954, 1997 | 1978, 2022 |
| Sète | 2 | 4 | 1930, 1934 | 1923, 1924, 1929, 1942 |
| Sedan | 2 | 3 | 1956, 1961 | 1965, 1999, 2005 |
| Sochaux | 2 | 3 | 1937, 2007 | 1959, 1967, 1988 |
| Montpellier | 2 | 2 | 1929, 1990 | 1931, 1994 |
| Reims | 2 | 2 | 1950, 1958 | 1977, 2025 |
| Metz | 2 | 1 | 1984, 1988 | 1938 |
| Guingamp | 2 | 1 | 2009, 2014 | 1997 |
| CASG Paris | 2 | – | 1919, 1925 | |
| Olympique de Paris | 1 | 2 | 1918 | 1919, 1921 |
| Bastia | 1 | 2 | 1981 | 1972, 2002 |
| CA Paris | 1 | 1 | 1920 | 1928 |
| Le Havre | 1 | 1 | 1959 | 1920 |
| Club Français | 1 | – | 1931 | |
| Cannes | 1 | – | 1932 | |
| Roubaix | 1 | – | 1933 | |
| Nancy-Lorraine | 1 | – | 1944 | |
| Toulouse (1937) | 1 | – | 1957 | |
| Nancy | 1 | – | 1978 | |
| Lorient | 1 | – | 2002 | |
| Toulouse | 1 | – | 2023 | |
| Lens | – | 3 | 1948, 1975, 1998 | |
| Nîmes | – | 3 | 1958, 1961, 1996 | |
| US Quevilly | – | 2 | 1927, 2012 | |
| RC Roubaix | – | 2 | 1932, 1933 | |
| FC Nancy | – | 2 | 1953, 1962 | |
| Angers | – | 2 | 1957, 2017 | |
| FC Lyon | – | 1 | 1918 | |
| FC Rouen | – | 1 | 1925 | |
| AS Valentigney | – | 1 | 1926 | |
| FCO Charleville | – | 1 | 1936 | |
| SC Fives | – | 1 | 1941 | |
| ÉF Reims-Champagne | – | 1 | 1944 | |
| Valenciennes | – | 1 | 1951 | |
| AS Troyes-Savinienne | – | 1 | 1956 | |
| Orléans | – | 1 | 1980 | |
| Calais RUFC | – | 1 | 2000 | |
| Amiens | – | 1 | 2001 | |
| LB Châteauroux | – | 1 | 2004 | |
| Evian | – | 1 | 2013 | |
| Les Herbiers | – | 1 | 2018 |
See also
In Spanish: Copa de Francia para niños
