About Trophée des Champions

The Trophée des Champions is the French football “super cup”, played between the winners of Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France from the previous season. Although the competition in its modern form officially began in 1995, its origins go back further, with earlier super cup-style matches and experimental formats appearing in French football history. The idea is to open the new season with a single high-profile match between the two best domestic teams.

Before 1995, France already had several attempts at a similar concept. From 1955 to 1973, and briefly again in the mid-1980s, the “Challenge des Champions” was played between the league champions and cup winners, but it lacked long-term stability and was eventually discontinued. Earlier roots can even be traced to post-war one-off matches, showing that France repeatedly experimented with a super cup format before establishing a permanent competition.

Since its reintroduction in 1995, the Trophée des Champions has become an established annual fixture and has even been hosted outside France in various countries to promote French football internationally. Paris Saint-Germain has been the dominant club in the modern era, winning the trophy more than any other team. The match is now a symbolic season opener and a showcase event for French football’s top clubs.