The 2025–26 Championnat National 3 was the ninth and last season of the fifth tier in the French football league system in its current format. The competition was contested by 112 clubs split geographically across 8 groups of 14 teams. The teams included amateur clubs (although a few were semi-professional) and the reserve teams of professional clubs. The competition began on 16 August 2025 and ended on 16 May 2026. The fifth tier kept its 8-group format for next season, but was renamed to Championnat National 2, following the establishment of Ligue 3 for the 2026–27 season.
Teams On 17 July 2025, the FFF ratified the constitution of the competition, and published the groups. Following Ajaccio's exclusion from national competitions, and ASPTT Dijon winning their appeal to the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, the Burgundian team will take the Corsican reserve team's place in Group H.
Changes from the 2024–25 season were as follows:
Teams joining the division Jura Sud, Anglet, Poiré-sur-Vie, Aubervilliers and Villers-Houlgate finished in relegation positions in 2024–25 Championnat National 2 (and weren't administratively relegated to regional leagues), FC Balagne was administratively relegated 13 teams gained promotion from the various Régional 1 leagues. Teams promoted to Championnat National 3RegionTeamMethod of qualificationNouvelle-AquitaineCestasChampion, R1 Group BPays de la LoireLes Sables-d'OlonneChampion, R1 Group BCentre-Val de LoireSaranChampion, R1 Centre-Val de LoireCorseGazélec AjaccioChampion, R1 CorseMéditerranéeCarnoux-en-ProvenceChampion, R1 MéditerranéeBourgogne-Franche-ComtéChalon-sur-SaôneChampion, R1 Group BGrand EstMulhouseChampion, R1 Group COccitanieTarbesChampion, R1 Group BHauts-de-FranceAmiens (res)Champion, R1 Group BNormandyHavre CaucriauvilleChampion, R1 Group BBrittanyBrest (res)Champion, R1 Group AParis Île-de-FranceVersailles (res)Champion, R1 Group AAuvergne-Rhône-AlpesFeursChampion, R1 Group A
Teams leaving the division Bayonne, Chauray, Lorient (res), Borgo, Dieppe, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Saint-Maur, Colmar, Limonest and Rousset were champions of each group, and were promoted to 2024–25 Championnat National 2. Trélissac, Stade Bordelais, Bordeaux (res), ESOF La Roche-sur-Yon, TA Rennes, Sablé, Flers, Plabennec, Saint-Lô, ASPTT Caen, Chatou, Grand-Quevilly, AG Caen, Lens (res), Sannois-Saint-Gratien, Calais, Valenciennes (res), Avoine Chinon, Moulon Bourges, Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, Vineuil, Montceau-les-Mines, Louhans-Cuiseaux, Gueugnon, Sarreguemines, Sarre-Union, Raon-l'Étape, Strasbourg Koenigshoffen, Chassieu, Clermont (res), Espaly-Saint-Marcel, Chambéry, Sud FC, Aigues-Mortes, Corte and EUGA Ardziv were relegated to Régional 1 for the 2025–26 season. AC Ajaccio (res) was relegated to lower leagues following the club's exclusion from national competitions
Name changes and fusion Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat became Riviera FC Following Tours's dissolution, Ouest Tourangeau became UF Touraine Relegated from National 2, Villers-Houlgate fused with and was absorbed by Trouville-Deauville. The new entity will compete as Trouville-Deauville-Villers. Promoted from Régional 1, Saran altered its official denomination from USM Saran football to Saran FC. Mâcon alters its official denomination from Union du Football mâconnais to Mâcon 71.
Promotion and relegation If eligible, the top team in each group is promoted to Championnat National 1. If a team finishing top of the group is ineligible, or declines promotion, the next eligible team in that group is promoted.
This season a total of 24 teams will be relegated to Régional 1. This will result in teams finishing in the bottom three places being relegated. Initially, it was planned the worst eleventh was to be relegated, but the administrative relegation of AC Ajaccio changed that.
Reserve teams whose training centres are categorised as category 2B or lower cannot be promoted to Championnat National 2 by the rules of the competition.
League tables Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Season outcomes Promotion Tarbes, Poiré-sur-Vie, Pontivy, Racing Club, Pays du Valois, ESTAC Troyes (res), Hauts Lyonnais and Lyon La Duchère were champions of each group, and were promoted to 2026–27 Championnat National 1. Canet Roussillon and UF Touraine were also promoted.
Relegation A total of 18 teams were relegated: Group A Agde, Alberes Argelès Group B Angers (res) (dissolution), SO Châtellerault (demotion to R2) Group C Ergué-Gabéric, Fougères Group D Dives-Cabourg, Havre Caucriauville Group E Pays de Cassel (demotion to R2), Amiens (res), Reims (res) Group F Besançon Football Group G Saran (administrative relegation), Moulins Yzeure (administrative relegation), Jura Sud, Cosne-sur-Loire Group H Seyssinet-Pariset, Carnoux-en-Provence
References