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Ligue 2

French association football league

Field	Value
logo	Logo Ligue 2 BKT 2024.svg
pixels	130
country
other countries
confed	UEFA
founded	(officially)
(as Ligue 2)
organiser	Ligue de Football
Professionnel (LFP)
teams	18
promotion	Ligue 1
relegation	Championnat National (until 2026)
Ligue 3 (from 2026)
levels	2
domest_cup	Coupe de France
champions	Lorient (2nd title)
season	2024–25
most_champs	Le Havre
(6 titles)
tv	beIN Sports
website
current	2025–26 Ligue 2

(as Ligue 2) Professionnel](ligue-de-football-professionnel) (LFP) Ligue 3 (from 2026) (6 titles)

Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division. Contested by 18 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with both Ligue 1 and the third division Championnat National. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 34 games each, totalling 306 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and Mondays, with a few games played during weekday and weekend evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.

Ligue 2 was founded a year after the creation of the first division in 1933 under the name Division 2 and has served as the second division of French football ever since. The name lasted until 2002 before switching to its current name. Since the league is a part of the LFP, it allows clubs who are on the brink of professionalism to become so.

History

The second division of French football was established in 1933, one year after the creation of the all-professional first division. The inaugural season of the competition consisted of the six clubs who were relegated following the 1932–33 National season, as well as many of the clubs who opposed the creation of the first division the previous season. Clubs such as Strasbourg, RC Roubaix, and Amiens SC all played in the second division's debut season despite having prior grievances with the subjective criteria needed to become professional and play in the first division. The first year of the second division consisted of twenty-three clubs and were divided into two groups (Nord and Sud). Fourteen of the clubs were inserted into the Nord section, while the remaining nine were placed in Sud. Following the season, the winner of each group faced each other to determine which club would earn promotion. On 20 May 1934, the winner of the Nord group, Red Star Saint-Ouen, faced Olympique Alès, the winner of the Sud group. Red Star were crowned the league's inaugural champions following a 3–2 victory. Despite losing, Alès was also promoted to the first division and they were followed by Strasbourg and Mulhouse, who each won a pool championship, after the first division agreed to expand its teams to 15.

Season	Winner
1933–34	Red Star Saint-Ouen
1934–35	CS Metz
1935–36	Rouen
1936–37	Lens
1937–38	Le Havre
1938–39	Red Star Saint-Ouen

Due to several clubs merging, folding, or losing their professional status, the federation turned the second division into a 16-team league and adopted the single-table method for the 1934–35 season. Due to the unpredictable nature of French football clubs, the following season, the league increased to 19 clubs and, two years later, increased its allotment to 25 teams with the clubs being divided into four groups. Because of World War II, football was suspended by the French government and the Ligue de Football Professionnel. Following the end of the war, the second division developed stability. Due to the increase in amateur clubs, the league intertwined professional and amateur clubs and allowed the latter to become professional if they met certain benchmarks. In 2002, the league changed its name from Division 2 to Ligue 2.

In November 2014, the presidents of Caen and Nîmes were amongst several arrested on suspicion of match fixing. The arrests followed a 1–1 draw between Caen and Nîmes in May 2014, a result very beneficial for each club.

Competition format

There are 18 clubs in Ligue 2. During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion and automatically promoted to Ligue 1. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship or for relegation, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The second-place finisher are also promoted automatically to the first division. The fourth and fifth-place finishers play a one leg fixture at the fourth-place finisher's stadium, the winner of this fixture faces the third-place finisher at the third-place finisher's stadium, the winner of this fixture plays the 16th-placed team in Ligue 1 for the right to play in Ligue 1 the following season. The three lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat National and the top three teams from National are promoted in their place. While a decision was originally made that during the 2015–16 season only the best two teams would be promoted to Ligue 1, and the last two teams would be relegated to the National, that decision was later overturned by an appeal to the Conseil d'État and the French Football Federation.

In December 2021, the majority of LFP member clubs, including Championnat National club leaders, voted to contract Ligue 2 from 20 to 18 clubs for the 2024–25 season. This happened one year after Ligue 1 itself dropped from 20 to 18 teams for the 2023–24 season. The plan was for Ligue 2 to relegate four clubs to, and promote two from, National at the end of 2023–24.

Ligue 2 members (2025–26 season)

Finishing position last season	Location	Venue	Capacity
11th	Amiens	Stade de la Licorne	12,097
6th	Annecy	Parc des Sports	15,660
8th	Furiani	Stade Armand-Cesari	16,078
3rd in Championnat National (promoted)	Boulogne-sur-Mer	Stade de la Libération	9,534
16th	Clermont-Ferrand	Stade Gabriel-Montpied	11,980
4th	Dunkirk	Stade Marcel-Tribut	4,933
9th	Grenoble	Stade des Alpes	20,068
5th	Guingamp	Stade de Roudourou	18,378
7th	Laval	Stade Francis Le Basser	18,739
2nd in Championnat National (promoted)	Le Mans	Stade Marie-Marvingt	25,064
18th in Ligue 1 (relegated)	Martigues	Stade de la Mosson	32,900
1st in Championnat National (promoted)	Nancy	Stade Marcel Picot	20,087
13th	Pau	Nouste Camp	4,031
15th	Paris (Saint-Ouen)	Stade Bauer	10,000
16th in Ligue 1 (relegated)	Reims	Stade Auguste-Delaune	21,029
14th	Rodez	Stade Paul-Lignon	5,955
17th in Ligue 1 (relegated)	Saint-Étienne	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard	41,965
10th	Troyes	Stade de l'Aube	20,400

Previous winners

Main article: List of French second division champions

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning years	Runner-up years
Le Havre	6	1	1937–38, 1958–59, 1984–85, 1990–91, 2007–08, 2022–23	1949–50
Nancy	5	1974–75, 1989–90, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2015–16	1969–70
Metz	4	4	1934–35, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2018–19	1950–51, 1960–61, 1966–67, 2022–23
Lens	2	1936–37, 1948–49, 1972–73, 2008–09	2013–14, 2019–20
Nice	1	1947–48, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1993–94	1984–85
Lille	1963–64, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1999–2000	1970–71
Montpellier	3	3	1945–46, 1960–61, 1986–87	1951–52, 1980–81, 2008–09
Saint-Étienne	1962–63, 1998–99, 2003–04	1933–34, 1937–38, 1985–86
Strasbourg	2	1976–77, 1987–88, 2016–17	1971–72, 2001–02
Toulouse	1	1981–82, 2002–03, 2021–22	1996–97
Lyon	–	1950–51, 1953–54, 1988–89
Rennes	2	5	1955–56, 1982–83	1938–39, 1957–58, 1975–76, 1989–90, 1993–94
Valenciennes	1971–72, 2005–06	1934–35, 1936–37, 1961–62, 1974–75, 1991–92
Angers	4	1968–69, 1975–76	1955–56, 1977–78, 1992–93, 2023–24
Red Star	3	1933–34, 1938–39	1954–55, 1964–65, 1973–74
Sochaux	2	1946–47, 2000–01	1963–64, 1987–88
Ajaccio	1966–67, 2001–02	2010–11, 2021–22
Caen	1995–96, 2009–10	2003–04, 2006–07
Troyes	2014–15, 2020–21	1953–54, 1972–73
Lorient	2019–20, 2024–25	1997–98, 2000–01
Alès	1	1933–34, 1956–57	1946–47
FC Nancy	1945–46, 1957–58	1959–60
Reims	1965–66, 2017–18	2011–12
Grenoble	–	1959–60, 1961–62
Bastia	1967–68, 2011–12
Auxerre	1979–80, 2023–24
Nîmes	1	3	1949–50	1967–68, 1990–91, 2017–18
Sedan	1954–55	1971–72, 1998–99, 2005–06
Brest	1980–81	1978–79, 2009–10, 2018–19
Marseille	1994–95	1965–66, 1983–84, 1995–96
Monaco	2012–13	1952–53, 1970–71, 1976–77
Rouen	2	1935–36	1933–34, 1981–82
Stade Français	1951–52	1945–46, 1958–59
Toulouse (1937)	1	1952–53	1945–46
Tours	1983–84	1979–80
Bordeaux	1991–92	1948–49
Paris Saint-Germain	–	1970–71
Gueugnon	1978–79
RCF Paris	1985–86
Martigues	1992–93
Châteauroux	1996–97
Evian	2010–11

Notes:

AS Nancy Lorraine is not the successor to FC Nancy.
Toulouse FC is not the successor to Toulouse FC (1937).

Top goalscorers

Season	Goals	Top scorer(s)	Club(s)
1933–34	54 goals	Jean Nicolas	Rouen
1934–35	30 goals
1935–36	45 goals
1936–37	30 goals	Viktor Spechtl	Lens
1937–38	29 goals	Hugo Lamanna	CA Paris
1938–39	39 goals	Harold Newell & Planques	Boulogne & Toulouse
1939–45	World War II
1945–46	27 goals	Campiglia	Angers
1946–47	45 goals	Jozef "Pépé" Humpal	Sochaux
1947–48	28 goals	Henri Arnaudeau	Bordeaux
1948–49	41 goals	Camille Libar
1949–50	27 goals	Edmund Haan	Nîmes
1950–51	23 goals	Thadée Cisowski	Metz
1951–52	34 goals	Egon Johnsson	Stade Français
1952–53	27 goals	Bror Mellberg	Toulouse
1953–54	36 goals	Jean Courteaux	RC Paris
1954–55	40 goals	Petrus Van Rhijn	Valenciennes
1955–56	32 goals
1956–57	27 goals	Fernand Devlaeminck	Lille
1957–58	29 goals	Egon Johnsson	FC Nancy
1958–59	31 goals	Petrus Van Rhijn	Stade Français
1959–60	29 goals	Corbel	Rouen
1960–61	28 goals	Casimir Kozakiewicz	Strasbourg
1961–62	21 goals	Serge Masnaghetti	Valenciennes
1962–63	24 goals	Ernesto Gianella	Béziers
1963–64	21 goals	Abderrahmane Soukhane	Le Havre
1964–65	22 goals	Anton Groschulski	Red Star
1965–66	30 goals	Pierre Ferrazzi	Grenoble
1966–67	23 goals	Etienne Sansonetti	Bastia
1967–68	26 goals	Jacques Bonnet	Avignon
1968–69	55 goals	Gérard Grizetti	Angoulême
1969–70	21 goals	Robert Blanc	Nancy
1970–71	20 goals
20 goals
20 goals	Nord: Yves Triantafyllos
Centre: Robert Blanc
Sud: Emmanuel Koum	Boulogne
Limoges
Monaco
1971–72	20 goals
28 goals
40 goals	Gr. A: Pierre Pleimelding
Gr. B: Yegba Maya Joseph
Gr. C: Marc Molitor	Troyes
Valenciennes
Strasbourg
1972–73	22 goals
31 goals	Gr. A: Eugeniusz Faber
Gr. B: Gérard Tonnel	Lens
Troyes
1973–74	26 goals
24 goals	Gr. A: Erwin Wilczek
Gr. B: Nestor Combin	Valenciennes
Red Star
1974–75	25 goals
28 goals	Gr. A: Georges Tripp
Gr. B: Jean Martinez	Laval
Nancy
1975–76	22 goals
25 goals	Gr. A: Boško Antić
Gr. B: Marc Berdoll	Caen
Angers
1976–77	30 goals
24 goals	Gr. A: Delio Onnis
Gr. B: Albert Gemmrich	Monaco
Strasbourg
1977–78	19 goals
23 goals
Gr. A: Giudicelli
Gr. B: Jean-Claude Garnier
Gr. B: Pierre-Antoine Dossevi	Alès
Dunkerque
Tours
1978–79	24 goals
26 goals	Gr. A: Antoine Trivino
Gr. B: Patrice Martet	Gueugnon
Brest
1979–80	16 goals
19 goals
Gr. A: Alain Polaniok
Gr. A: Bernard Ferrigno
Gr. B: Jacky Vergnes
Gr. B: Robert Pintenat	Reims
Tours
Montpellier
Toulouse
1980–81	32 goals
22 goals	Gr. A: Robert Pintenat
Gr. B: Marcel Campagnac	Toulouse
Sporting Club Abbeville
1981–82	18 goals
25 goals	Gr. A: Marc Pascal
Gr. B: Žarko Olarević	Marseille
Le Havre
1982–83	27 goals
18 goals	Gr. A: Włodzimierz Lubański
Gr. B: Christian Dalger	Valenciennes
Toulon
1983–84	23 goals
22 goals	Gr. A: Mario Relmy
Gr. A: Boubacar Sarr
Gr. B: Omar da Fonseca	Limoges
Marseille
Tours
1984–85	27 goals
28 goals	Gr. A: John Eriksen
Gr. B: Jorge Dominguez	Mulhouse
Nice
1985–86	22 goals
30 goals	Gr. A: Jean-Marc Valadier
Gr. B: Eugène Kabongo	Montpellier
RC Paris
1986–87	21 goals
20 goals
Gr. A: Tony Kurbos
Gr. B: Gaspard N'Gouete
Gr. B: Jean-Pierre Orts	Mulhouse
Bastia
Lyon
1987–88	21 goals
26 goals	Gr. A: Ray Stephen
Gr. B: Patrice Martet	Nancy
Rouen
1988–89	21 goals
28 goals	Gr. A: Roberto Cabanas
Gr. A: Franck Priou
Gr. B: Robby Langers	Brest
Mulhouse
Orléans
1989–90	26 goals
21 goals	Gr. A: Didier Monczuk
Gr. B: Jean-Pierre Orts	Strasbourg
Rouen
1990–91	23 goals
19 goals	Gr. A: Didier Monczuk
Gr. B: Christophe Lagrange	Strasbourg
Angers
1991–92	22 goals
23 goals	Gr. A: Jean-Pierre Orts
Gr. B: Didier Monczuk	Rouen
Strasbourg
1992–93	21 goals
18 goals	Gr. A: Franck Priou
Gr. B: Jean-Pierre Orts	Cannes
Rouen
1993–94	27 goals	Yannick Le Saux	Saint-Brieuc
1994–95	31 goals	Tony Cascarino	Marseille
1995–96	30 goals
1996–97	23 goals	Samuel Michel	Sochaux
1997–98	20 goals	Réginald Ray	Le Mans
1998–99	20 goals	Hamed Diallo	Laval
1999–2000	17 goals	Amara Traoré	Gueugnon
2000–01	21 goals	Francileudo Santos	Sochaux
2001–02	18 goals	Hamed Diallo	Amiens
2002–03	20 goals	Cédric Fauré	Toulouse
2003–04	17 goals	David Suarez	Amiens
2004–05	24 goals	Bakari Koné	Lorient
2005–06	16 goals	Jean-Michel Lesage & Steve Savidan	Le Havre & Valenciennes
2006–07	18 goals	Jean-Michel Lesage & Kandia Traore	Le Havre & Le Havre
2007–08	28 goals	Guillaume Hoarau	Le Havre
2008–09	18 goals	Grégory Thil	Boulogne
2009–10	21 goals	Olivier Giroud	Tours
2010–11	23 goals	Sebastián Ribas	Dijon
2011–12	15 goals	Cédric Fauré	Reims
2012–13	23 goals	Mustapha Yatabaré	Guingamp
2013–14	23 goals	Andy Delort & Mathieu Duhamel	Tours & Caen
2014–15	18 goals	Mickaël Le Bihan	Le Havre
2015–16	21 goals	Famara Diedhiou	Clermont
2016–17	23 goals	Adama Niane	Troyes
2017–18	24 goals	Umut Bozok	Nîmes
2018–19	27 goals	Gaëtan Charbonnier	Brest
2019–20	20 goals	Tino Kadewere	Le Havre
2020–21	22 goals	Mohamed Bayo	Clermont
2021–22	20 goals	Rhys Healey	Toulouse
2022–23	23 goals	Georges Mikautadze	Metz
2023–24	22 goals	Alexandre Mendy	Caen
2024–25	22 goals	Eli Junior Kroupi	Lorient

Records

5 minutes: the time it took Angelo Fulgini (Valenciennes, 2016–17 season) to score the fastest hat trick in the history of Ligue 2.
6 times: the number of times Le Havre won the second division championship.
Number of points won by a team in a single season, without achieving promotion to Ligue 1: :::77 points (1994–95 season) or 1.833 points per game (42 games) for Toulouse. :::72 points (1995–96 season, 22 teams involved): or 1.71 points per game for Laval. :::71 points (2018–19 season, 20 teams involved): or 1.868 points per game for Troyes. :::70 points (2020–21 season, 20 teams involved): or 1.84 points per game for Toulouse. :::52 points (curtailed 2019–20 season, 20 teams involved) or 1.857 points per game (28 games) for Ajaccio.
128 goals: The number of goals scored in 40 games (a single season) by Angers in 40 games, (1968–69 season).
55 goals: the number of goals scored in a season by Gerard Grizzetti, forward playing for Angoulême (1969).
41 seasons: Number of seasons played by Besançon and Cannes.
The fastest goal in the history of Ligue 2 was scored on 26 September 2009 by Rémi Maréval against Nîmes. After eight seconds of play, the ball crossed the goal line of Nicolas Puydebois.

Broadcaster

France

Duration	Broadcaster
2012–13 → 2023–24	beIN Sports
2008–09 → 2011–12	Eurosport
2008–09 → 2009–10	Numericable
2020–21	Téléfoot
2021–22 → 2023–24	beIN Sports (2 matches)
Amazon Prime Video (8 matches)
L'Equipe (1 match from Amazon)
2024–25 → 2028–29	beIN Sports (all matches)

International

Country	Broadcaster	Duration
Vietnam	VTVCab	2022–23 → 2023–24 (all Pau FC matches)

Middle East and North Africa

Country	Broadcasters
MENA	beIN Sports
Israel	Sport5

Sponsorship names

Domino's Ligue 2 (2016–2020)
Ligue 2 BKT (2020–present)

Notes

References

"Marseille arrests and match-fixing probe rock French football". France 24.
"Presidents of two French clubs arrested on match-fixing suspicions". The Guardian.
(2019-04-24). "Ligue 2 : Les play-offs changent de date !".
(2015-08-14). "Ligue 1 to keep three relegation places".
"Ligue 1 relegation places stay at three, uncertainty continues".
(14 August 2015). "Le référé de la LFP rejeté". Le Figaro.fr.
(3 February 2016). "Ligue 1/Ligue 2 : il y aura bien trois rélégations/promotions".
(9 December 2021). "Foot : la Ligue 2 à 18 clubs à partir de 2024-2025". Le Figaro.
VTV, BAO DIEN TU. (2022-07-19). "VTVcab chính thức sở hữu bản quyền phát sóng các trận đấu của Quang Hải cùng Pau FC tại Ligue 2".
(16 August 2024). "beIN MEDIA GROUP extends long-term deal for Ligue 1 & Ligue 2".

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