Les Black Panthers de Thonon have claimed their first Casque de Diamant title in a season-defining 49-46 victory over FFFA-ranked rivals Les Lions de Lyon in a match that delivered a script worthy of the NFL’s most dramatic playoff games. The win, secured in the final minutes of regulation in front of a capacity crowd at Stade Joseph-Moynat, caps off a remarkable turnaround for the Black Panthers, who entered the match down 28-14 at halftime before staging one of the most audacious comebacks in French American football history.

The championship game, played under overcast skies with temperatures hovering around 18°C (64°F), was the 30th edition of the Casque de Diamant, France’s premier American football championship. According to FFFA’s official match report, the victory marks the first time a team from the Ligue Nationale de Football Américain (LNF)‘s second division has won the national title since the league’s restructuring in 2020.

<