Championnat National

association football league

Championnat National (English: French National Championship), also known as National or Division 3, is the third division of French football behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. It is contested by 17 clubs and runs on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2, the second division of French football and the Championnat National 2, the fourth division of French football.

Championnat National
Organising bodyFrench Football Federation
Founded1993
CountryFrance
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams17 (for 2024–25)
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toLigue 2
Relegation toChampionnat National 2
Domestic cup(s)Coupe de France
Current championsRed Star (3rd title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsRed Star (3 titles)

Format

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The league contains 17 clubs, runs from August to May and each club plays the other teams twice, home and away playing a total of 32 games. Teams will receive three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. Teams are ranked by total points, then head to head, then goal difference and then goals scored. At the end of the season the teams that finish first and second are promoted to Ligue 2. The team that finishes third in the Championnat National goes into a play-off with the team that finishes sixteenth in Ligue 2 for a place in the second division. The teams that finish sixteenth and seventeenth are relegated to the Championnat National 2.

Current clubs

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List (2024–25 season)

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Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Stadium Capacity Finishing position last season
Aubagne Aubagne Stade de Lattre-de-Tassigny 1,000 1st in Championnat National 2, Group A (promoted)
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer Stade de la Libération 9,534 1st in Championnat National 2, Group C (promoted)
Bourg-Péronnas Bourg-en-Bresse Stade Marcel-Verchère 11,400 1st in Championnat National 2, Group D (promoted)
Châteauroux Châteauroux Stade Gaston Petit 17,173 12th
Concarneau Concarneau Stade Guy-Piriou 5,800 19th in Ligue 2 (relegated)
Dijon Dijon Stade Gaston-Gérard 15,995 4th
Le Mans Le Mans Stade Marie-Marvingt 25,000 5th
Nancy Nancy Stade Marcel Picot 20,087 6th
Nîmes Nîmes Stade des Antonins 8,033 11th
Orléans Orléans Stade de la Source 7,000 10th
Paris 13 Atletico Paris Stade Pelé 995 1st in Championnat National 2, Group B (promoted)
Quevilly-Rouen Rouen Stade Robert Diochon 12,018 18th in Ligue 2 (relegated)
Rouen Rouen Stade Robert Diochon 12,018 7th
Sochaux Montbéliard Stade Auguste Bonal 20,005 8th
Valenciennes Valenciennes Stade du Hainaut 25,172 20th in Ligue 2 (relegated)
Versailles Paris Stade Jean-Bouin 19,904 9th
Villefranche Villefranche-sur-Saône Stade Armand Chouffet 3,500 13th

Champions

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Season Group A Winner Group B Winner Other promoted teams
1993–94 EA Guingamp LB Châteauroux Amiens SC and Perpignan FC
1994–95 Lorient SAS Épinal Stade Poitevin and CS Louhans-Cuiseaux
1995–96 Stade Briochin Sporting Toulon Var Association Troyes AC and AS Beauvais Oise
1996–97 ES Wasquehal Nîmes Olympique
Season Champions Runner Up Third place
1997–98 AC Ajaccio CS Sedan Ardennes US Créteil-Lusitanos (not promoted)
1998–99 Louhans-Cuiseaux US Créteil-Lusitanos Gazélec Ajaccio (not promoted)
1999–2000 AS Beauvais Oise Martigues Angers SCO
2000–01 Grenoble Amiens SC FC Istres
2001–02 Clermont Foot Stade de Reims ASOA Valence and Toulouse FC
(4 clubs promoted this season)
2002–03 Besançon Racing Club Angers SCO FC Rouen
2003–04 Stade de Reims Stade Brestois Dijon FCO
2004–05 Valenciennes FC ASOA Valence
(not promoted due to financial problems)
FC Sète 34
2005–06 Chamois Niortais Tours FC FC Libourne-Saint-Seurin
2006–07 Clermont Foot (2) US Boulogne Angers SCO
2007–08 Vannes OC Tours FC Nîmes Olympique
2008–09 FC Istres Stade Lavallois AC Arles
2009–10 Evian Thonon Gaillard Stade de Reims ES Troyes AC
2010–11 SC Bastia Amiens SC EA Guingamp
2011–12 Nîmes Olympique (2) Chamois Niortais Gazélec Ajaccio
2012–13 US Créteil FC Metz CA Bastia
2013–14 Orléans Luzenac (not promoted) GFC Ajaccio
2014–15 Red Star Paris FC Bourg-Péronnas
2015–16 Strasbourg Orléans Amiens
2016–17 Châteauroux Quevilly-Rouen Paris FC (Promotion Play-Off)
2017–18 Red Star (2) Béziers Grenoble (Promotion Play-Off Winner)
2018–19 Rodez Chambly Le Mans (Promotion Play-Off Winner)
2019–20 Pau Dunkerque Boulogne (No Promotion Play-Off)
2020–21 SC Bastia (2) Quevilly-Rouen Villefranche (Promotion Play-Off)
2021–22 Laval Annecy Villefranche (Promotion Play-Off)
2022–23 Concarneau Dunkerque Red Star (No Promotion Play-Off)
2023–24 Red Star (3) Martigues Chamois Niortais (No Promotion Play-Off)
2024–25 TBD TBD TBD (Promotion Play-Off)
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