Ligue 2 (France) 2026/27

Ligue 2 serves as the professional second tier of French football, operating directly beneath the top flight and above the National division. The competition was established in 1933, emerging one year after the creation of the premier division, under the leadership of Jules Rimet and Henri Delaunay. Originally designated as "Division 2," the tournament adopted its current name in 2002.

Administered by the Ligue de Football Professionnel since the 1945–46 season, the league features eighteen clubs competing in a double round-robin format. Each side plays thirty-four matches to determine the final standings. The structure rewards the top two finishers with immediate promotion to Ligue 1. The third promotion spot is contested through a complex knockout stage involving the third, fourth, and fifth-placed teams, with the victor challenging the sixteenth-place Ligue 1 side in a two-legged tie. Conversely, the bottom three clubs are relegated to the National division, while the seventeenth-placed team enters a playoff against the third-place side from the third tier.

The league distinguishes itself through financial mechanisms designed to support development. Strict salary caps and solidarity measures encourage clubs to utilize academy graduates, positioning Ligue 2 as a significant pathway for young talent. Le Havre AC holds the record for the most titles with six victories, followed by Nancy with five and Metz with four. Montpellier, Saint-Étienne, and Troyes have each secured three championships. The current reigning champion is AJ Auxerre.