About Coupe de France

The Coupe de France is the main national knockout football competition in France, founded in 1917 and organised by the French Football Federation. It is open to all clubs across the country, including amateur sides and teams from overseas territories, making it one of the most inclusive cup competitions in world football. In its modern form, it represents a single-elimination tournament where clubs from all levels can compete against each other in the same bracket.

In the early decades, the competition became a key national tournament even before the rise of professional football. During this period, football in France was still largely amateur and regionally organized, with clubs such as Standard Athletic Club, RC Roubaix, Le Havre, and Club Français among the early dominant teams. The structure of the competition was less stable than today, but it helped establish a nationwide football culture and laid the foundation for a unified national cup system.

The Coupe de France is also famous for its “giant-killing” nature, where small amateur clubs can face and occasionally eliminate top professional teams. Its open format and random draws have always made it unpredictable and exciting, contributing to its long-standing popularity. Even today, it remains a major national event, with the final played at the Stade de France and the winner qualifying for European competition.