The draw for the 32nd finals of the 2025-2026 Coupe de France was conducted on Monday evening in the salons of the Parc des Princes, setting the stage for the traditional entry of Ligue 1 clubs into the historic knockout competition according to the official announcement by the Fédération Française de Football (fff.fr). Scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, December 20, this round marks the official kickoff where lower-tier amateur outfits host elite professional sides in the 109th edition of the tournament.
The Path of the Underdogs and Notable Regional Derbies
Romance remains alive in the historic French cup competition as regional amateur clubs prepare to test themselves against elite professionals. A standout local fixture highlights Group A, where Régional 1 side FC Saint-Cyr Collonges-Au-Mont-D’or will host Olympique Lyonnais. The amateur club faces a steep five-division gap against their illustrious visitors, though many players and local fans maintain close ties to the Lyon club.
Elsewhere in the opening bracket, another lower-tier underdog eyes a major upset. According to the Fédération Française de Football, FC Freyming of Régional 2 will welcome National 2 side US Chantilly to home turf. Freyming president Senol Tasoluk stated that his team intends to play the match flat-out to chase a spot in the round of 16 and continue representing amateur football proudly.
Representing the furthest geographical journey of the round, overseas club AS Le Gosier of Guadeloupe will travel to mainland France to face FC Lorient. Under tournament regulations, the island representatives earn their place in the metropolitan bracket, offering former Guingamp forward Claudio Beauvue a familiar regional setting for what stands as a historic fixture for the club.
Defending Champions and Elite Matchups
Paris Saint-Germain begins its defense of the Charles-Simon trophy with a tricky away fixture against Vendée Fontenay Foot of National 3. Fontenay advanced to this stage following a resounding 4-1 victory over Châteauroux in the previous round. Meanwhile, AS Monaco heads to Burgundy to face AJ Auxerre in what stands as the sole direct matchup between two Ligue 1 outfits in this round of the draw, following Monaco’s recent league win over PSG.
Complete 32nd Finals Draw Structure
Group A Fixtures
- FC Saint-Cyr Collonges-Au-Mont-D’or (R1) vs. Olympique Lyonnais (L1)
- Grenoble Foot 38 (L2) vs. AS Nancy Lorraine (L2)
- Bourg-en-Bresse Péronnas (N) vs. Olympique de Marseille (L1)
- SA Mérignac (R1) vs. Istres FC (N2)
- Lyon-La Duchère (N3) vs. Toulouse FC (L1)
- OGC Nice (L1) vs. AS Saint-Étienne (L2)
- Le Puy Foot 43A (N) vs. FC Girondins de Bordeaux (N2)
- AJ Auxerre (L1) vs. AS Monaco (L1)
- Bassin Arcachon FC (N3) vs. Hauts Lyonnais (N3)
- Canet Roussillon FC (N3) vs. Montpellier HSC (L2)
Group B Fixtures
- FC Freyming (R2) vs. US Chantilly (N2)
- ASC Biesheim (N2) vs. FC Metz (L1)
- Olympique Marcq-en-Barœul (R1) vs. ESTAC Troyes (L2)
- Stade Béthunois FC (R1) vs. FC Sochaux Montbéliard (N)
- Feignies Aulnoye EFC (N2) vs. RC Lens (L1)
- IC Croix Football (N3) vs. Stade de Reims (L2)
- RC Strasbourg Alsace (L1) vs. USL Dunkerque (L2)
- US Raon l’Etape (R1) vs. Paris FC (L1)
- US Orléans (N) vs. FC Dieppe (N2)
- Le Havre AC (L1) vs. Amiens SC (L2)
- US Saint-Maur Lusitanos (N2) vs. LOSC Lille (L1)
Group C Fixtures
- US Concarneau (N) vs. FC Nantes (L1)
- Vendée Fontenay Foot (N3) vs. Paris Saint-Germain (L1)
- FC Périgny (R1) vs. Le Mans FC (L2)
- Les Herbiers VF (N2) vs. Angers SCO (L1)
- Bayeux FC (R1) vs. Blois Football 41 (N2)
- AS Le Gosier (R1 Guadeloupe) vs. FC Lorient (L1)
- Montreuil FC (R1) or US Granvillaise (N2) vs. US Chauvigny (N3)
- Les Sables VF (N3) vs. Stade Rennais (L1)
- Pontivy GS (N3) vs. SC Bastia (L2)
- US Avranches (N2) vs. Stade Brestois (L1)
- EA Guingamp (L2) vs. Stade Lavallois (L2)
Matches across all groups are officially scheduled to take place over the weekend of Saturday, December 20. Clubs will finalize exact kickoff times and venue logistics ahead of the winter fixtures.
