Coupe de France: History, Format, All you need to know

France's historic Cup competition returns this weekend, involving all Ligue 1 sides. Here's all you need to know about the Coupe de france...

It's a festive time of year in French football. No, there won't be any Boxing Day fixtures in France - but there will be a pre-Christmas round of the Coupe de France. It's a key moment in the country's oldest Cup competition, where Ligue 1 sides can face any team from any division (including those overseas). Magical stories can be made, and giants can easily fall. All 18 Ligue 1 McDonald's clubs will be featuring in this weekend's Coupe de France, which is heading into its eighth round: the Round of 64. 

The Coupe de France: A History

The Coupe de France is one of the oldest and prestigious Cup competitions in world football. It was founded during the First World War by Herni Delaunay, the secretary of the French Football Federation. It was the first competition in the country to unite clubs of all levels across France in a single-elimination format. The first final was held in 1918, where Olympique de Pantin defeated FC Lyon 3-0 to lift the first edition of the competition.

Historic clubs such as Racing Club de France, FC Sète, and Red Star FC are among some of the serial winners in the mid-20th century. Paris Saint-Germain are the current record winners of the Coupe de France (15), with Olympique de Marseille (10) second and Saint-Étienne joint-third with Lille (6). 

The Format

The tournament has held a reputation for "giant killings" and the ultimate underdog stories. In 2000, fourth tier amateur side Calais RUFC managed to reach the final. In fact, a side not in the top tier has reached the final on 15 occasions in the history of the Coupe de France. Find out some of the special features of the cup below: 

Regional Qualifiers 

A recent change has been the regionalisation of the Coupe de France in the earlier rounds. This means that each region conducts its own qualifying matches in the early rounds. France is a vast country, so it is done to encourage local games to manage costs and keep things manageable for supporters.  Each region has a designated number of teams advancing to the seventh round, where they may face professional clubs.

The early rounds are completed around the summer, where teams from district and regional leagues are involved. From the third round, clubs from National 3 (fifth tier) join in the competition. Each new round then opens up to a new tier, with our professional teams entering the fray from the Seventh round.

Overseas Territories Participation

Another intriguing feature which makes the Coupe de France stand out is the participation from France's overseas territories. Teams from overseas departments and territories such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and Réunion hold their own knockout competitions. The winners then advance to the seventh round of the Coupe de France, and then integrate into the national competition.

UEFA Europa League Qualification

Not only is the Coupe de France an exciting competition for lower league sides, but also any team hoping to secure European football. The winner of the Coupe de France secures a spot in the UEFA Europa League. This was the case with FC Nantes in the 2022, and then Toulouse in the 2023 edition.

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