French football divisions explained: the pyramid and Ligue 3
Below Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, French football continues through Ligue 3, National 1, National 2 and regional and district competitions. The 2026/27 reform changes the names: National becomes Ligue 3, the former National 2 becomes National 1, and the former National 3 becomes National 2.
The divisions, in order.
- 1
Ligue 1
Former name : Division 1 / D1The top division. Fixtures and analysis are available on HEXAGONE.
- 2
Ligue 2
Former name : Division 2 / D2The second division, with its own title, promotion and survival races.
- 3
Ligue 3
Former name : NationalThe third tier, organised by the FFF under the 2026/27 reform.
Official sourceFFF · competition ↗ - 4
National 1
Former name : National 2 / N2 · before 2026/27The fourth tier, divided into geographical groups.
Official sourceFFF · competition ↗ - 5
National 2
Former name : National 3 / N3 · before 2026/27The fifth tier, connecting national and regional football.
Official sourceFFF · competition ↗ - 6+
Regions & districts
Régional 1, 2 and 3, then district competitions, depending on the territory.
Official sourceFFF · competition ↗
The 2026/27 reform changes the names of tiers 3–5. A division’s name in an archive depends on its season.
Why older names are still everywhere
A 2025 article discussing National 2 describes the fourth tier. In 2026/27 that level is called National 1. The FFF announced the reform on 12 May 2026 and confirmed the new names when publishing the groups in July. Reading an archive therefore means keeping the competition name and season together. The “1” in National 1 does not mean the top division: that remains Ligue 1.
Ligue 3 is the next tier to follow
The FFF’s published calendar describes one eighteen-club division with thirty-four home-and-away rounds. The promotion race continues through play-offs and an inter-divisional tie. It is a place to follow attempts to climb back up, local club projects and early steps in senior football. On HEXAGONE the link currently leads to the official document; standings and results have not yet been integrated into our match feed.
National 1, National 2 and local football
The following tiers are divided into geographical groups, bringing together independent clubs, reserve sides and development regions. Below them, regional leagues and districts organise their own championships. Group numbers, local names and promotion arrangements require checks for each season and territory. Overseas competitions also have their own features: one simplified pyramid cannot describe every route through French football.
A cup crosses the divisions
The Coupe de France is followed round by round rather than through a points table. Part of its appeal is the meeting of clubs from different levels, making draws, dates, grounds and each team’s cup run especially useful. The Coupe Gambardella is a youth competition and must not be confused with the National U19 championship. U19 players are not eligible for Gambardella; an U19 team’s entry does not remove the player age conditions.
Women’s football has its own pyramid
Arkema Première Ligue is the top level, ahead of Seconde Ligue and D3 Féminine. These competitions deserve distinct teams, fixtures and player profiles: a women’s side is not the same entity as the men’s team at the same club. National youth championships and futsal also have their own structures. Official FFF pages provide the starting point for their groups and dates.
What is already available on HEXAGONE
Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 fixtures and analysis are connected to the competition directory. Academy research, player pathways, club histories and the stadium atlas add context. For other divisions, the directory separates published format information and federation links from integrated match data. That helps readers find the right competition without presenting an old fixture or an announced calendar as an updated result.
Sources and coverage
Formats checked 27 October 2026. Calendar documents may be amended during the season. FFF links open federation information; they do not indicate that HEXAGONE has integrated a results feed.
- FFF · Ligue 3 launch and division renaming ↗ · 2026-05-12
- FFF · Ligue 3 2026/27 calendar and format ↗ · 2026-07-01
- FFF · National, youth and futsal groups 2026/27 ↗ · 2026-07-16
- FFF · Arkema Première Ligue, revised calendar ↗ · 2026-07-08
- FFF · Seconde Ligue 2026/27 ↗
- FFF · National competition regulations ↗
- Grand Est league · Gambardella 2026/27 ↗
- FFF · Futsal leagues and cup 2026/27 ↗ · 2026-04-10