The Championnat National 1, commonly known as National 1 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA) and Championnat National 2, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth tier of French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2 and Ligue 3. Contested by 48 clubs, the Championnat National 1 operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Ligue 3 and National 2, the fifth division of French football. Seasons run from August to May, with teams in the three groups playing 30 games each. 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.

The current incarnation of the league is a simple rebrand of the CFA, which was founded in 1993 as National 2 and lasted for five years before being converted to the CFA name in 1998, the National 2 name in 2017 and the National 1 name in 2026. Some clubs that participate in the league are semi-professional. The matches in the league attract on average between 800 and 1,000 spectators per match. However, this average has been dragged down by the minuscule turnouts for the pros' home reserve matches.

History The league was created in 1993 under the name Championnat National 2, as an heir to the now-defunct Division 3. The league's debut coincided with the creation of the Championnat National, the third division of French football, 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 French Football Federation changed the competition's format creating two separate tables; one for the amateur clubs and another for the reserve teams of professional clubs. The dual tables allowed the league to declare a champion for the amateurs and the reserves, with four team tournaments being held following the conclusion of league play to determine the champions. At the same time, the competition was renamed Championnat de France Amateur (CFA). In 2001, the federation ended this style and reverted to the original format allowing both the amateur clubs and reserve teams to be grouped together based on their regional location. The winner of each group would then earn promotion to the Championnat National, unless the club is a reserve team. Meanwhile, the reserve teams continued to use the previous format with the best reserve teams of each group being inserted into a tournament to decide the reserves' champion.

In 2017, the FFF reorganised amateur football along the lines of the 2016 reorganisation of the Regions of France, creating the 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.

As part of the restructure of the French football leagues system between 2022 and 2026, the league was reduced from 64 teams across 4 groups in 2022–23, to 56 across 4 groups in 2023–24, and will have 48 teams across 3 groups from 2024 to 2025.

Ahead of the 2026–27 season, National 2 was renamed to Championnat National 1.

Competition format For the 2024–25 season, forty-eight clubs participated. The clubs were split into three parallel groups of 16 with their group affiliation being loosely based on the regional location. The league is open to the best reserve teams in France and amateur clubs in France, although only the amateur clubs are eligible for promotion to Ligue 3. 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 30 games. Teams are ranked by total points, then head-to-head results and head-to-head goal difference. At the end of each season, the group champions are promoted to Championnat National and the best performing group champion is crowned overall champion of the season. For the 2024–25 season, the three lowest-ranked teams in each group were relegated to Championnat National 3, along with the worst performing thirteenth-placed team.

Teams The following teams competed in the Championnat National 1 for the 2026–27 season.

Group A Club NameAngoulêmeAvranchesBayonneChâteaubriantChaurayDinan LéhonGranvilleLa RocheLes HerbiersLorient (reserves)MontlouisPoitiersSaint-Colomban LocminéSaint-MaloSaumur

Group B Club NameBeauvaisBiesheimBloisBorgoBourgesChamblyChantillyColmarDieppeÉpinalFeignies AulnoyeFuriani-AglianiHaguenauSaint-Pryvé Saint-HilaireThionvilleWasquehal

Group C Club NameAndrézieuxCannesCréteilFC 93Fréjus Saint-RaphaëlGOAL FCHyèresIstresLimonestLusitanos Saint-MaurNîmesPays de GrasseRoussetRumilly-VallièresSaint-PriestToulon

Performance

Group winners 4 groups (1993–2024) Championnat National 2 Season Group A Winner Group B Winner Group C Winner Group D Winner1993–94FCSR HaguenauAS Monaco BStade Poitevin PEPPAJ Auxerre B1994–95ES Wasquehal AS Cannes BAJ Auxerre BSM Caen B1995–96US Lusitanos Saint-MaurStade MontoisAJ Auxerre BFC Bourges1996–97FC Metz BAC AjaccioOlympique Lyonnais BAJ Auxerre BChampionnat de France Amateur Season Group A Winner Group B Winner Group C Winner Group D Winner1997–98Valenciennes FCOlympique Lyonnais BPau FCAJ Auxerre B1998–99AJ Auxerre BGrenoble Foot 38Clermont FootAS ÉvryAJ Auxerre BOlympique Lyonnais BLa Roche VFStade brestois 292000–01US Boulogne COFC Sète 34AS AngoulêmeUS Lusitanos Saint-MaurLille OSC BOlympique de Marseille BSO RomorantinAJ Auxerre BParis Saint-Germain BES Troyes AC BOlympique Lyonnais BFC Libourne AJ Auxerre BOlympique Lyonnais BAviron Bayonnais FCRC Paris2004–05US Boulogne COCS Louhans-CuiseauxSC ToulonVannes OC2005–06AS BeauvaisFC MartiguesAS YzeureParis FC2006–07Calais RUFCAC ArlesRodez AFVillemomble Sports2007–08Pacy VEFOlympique Croix de Savoie 74SO Cassis CarnouxGirondins de Bordeaux B 2008–09Besançon RCHyères FC US LuzenacFC Rouen2009–10SR ColmarGap HAFCChamois Niortais FCUS Orléans2010–11US QuevillyBesançon RCGazélec AjaccioLe-Poiré-sur-Vie VF2011–12CA BastiaOlympique Lyonnais BES Uzès Pont du GardUSJA Carquefou2012–13USL DunkerqueRC Strasbourg AlsaceUS ColomiersLuçon VF2013–14FC Chambly ThelleSAS ÉpinalGS ConsolatUS Avranches2014–15CS Sedan-ArdennesASM BelfortAS BéziersFC Lorient B2015–16US Quevilly-RouenAS Lyon-DuchèrePau FCUS Concarneau2016–17Stade Rennais FC BEntente SSGGrenoble Foot 38Rodez AFChampionnat National 2 Season Group A Winner Group B Winner Group C Winner Group D Winner2017–18Marignane Gignac FCFC Villefranche BeaujolaisJA DrancyLe Mans FC2018–19SC ToulonLe Puy Foot 43 AuvergneFC Nantes BUS Créteil-LusitanosSC BastiaStade briochinFC Sète 04FC Annecynone2021–22FC Versailles 78Paris 13 AtleticoFC MartiguesLe Puy Foot 43 Auvergne2022–23FC RouenSAS ÉpinalMarignane Gignac CB FCGOAL FC2023–24Aubagne FCParis 13 AtleticoUS Boulogne COFC Bourg-Péronnas 01

3 groups (since 2024) Championnat National 2 Season Group A Winner Group B Winner Group C Winner2024–25Le Puy Foot 43 AuvergneStade BriochinFC Fleury 912025–26VFC La Roche-sur-YonThionville LusitanosAS CannesChampionnat National 1SeasonGroup A WinnerGroup B WinnerGroup C Winner2026–27TBDTBDTBD

Legend

References

External links

Official Site of the Fédération française de football Championnat National 2 Fixtures