Premiere Ligue Women The 2025-26 Première Ligue regular season is in the books, and the headline writes itself: OL Lyonnes finished the 22-match campaign without a single defeat, dropping points only in three draws on their way to a record-extending top-flight crown of the regular phase. With the Champion Play-off bracket now confirmed, France’s top four — Lyon, Paris FC, Paris Saint-Germain and Nantes — turn their attention to the four-team mini-tournament that will decide the 2025-26 title.
Lyon’s flawless league phase
Jonatan Giráldez’s first season in charge could hardly have started more emphatically on the domestic front. Lyon went 19 wins, 3 draws, 0 losses, scored 76 goals, conceded just 11, and finished on 60 points — twelve clear of second place. The defensive numbers stand out as much as the attack: a goal difference of +65 across 22 fixtures means Lyon outscored opponents by an average of nearly three goals per game while keeping clean sheets at a rate few teams in Europe could match.
The three blemishes on the record were all draws — points dropped, never lost. It is the kind of league phase that turns regular-season trophies into footnotes, but in the new Arkema Première Ligue format the title is not handed out for finishing top of the table. Lyon, like every champion before them in this revised structure, will have to earn it again over the play-off rounds.
Paris FC pip PSG to second
The most consequential storyline beneath Lyon was the Paris derby for second place. Paris FC ended on 48 points (15-3-4), one ahead of Paris Saint-Germain on 47 (15-2-5). Both clubs won 15 matches; the difference came down to draws — Paris FC found three, PSG only two — with PSG’s five defeats also one more than their cross-city rivals. Goal difference favoured Paris FC heavily (+30 against +22), and so the second seed and a more favourable play-off path go to the side that has spent the season quietly assembling a stronger campaign than many expected.
(Sportmonks-fed standings briefly reflected an outdated PSG line; the figures here have been cross-checked against the Wikipedia season summary and Paris Saint-Germain’s official table.)
Nantes ride consistency to the final play-off ticket
The fight for the fourth and final play-off place ran longer than the top three, and Nantes emerged with it. Their 12-5-5 record — 12 wins, five draws, five defeats — translated to 41 points, comfortably clear of fifth-placed Fleury (33). A mid-table by goal difference (+8) tells the story of a team that won when it had to and converted draws when better wasn’t available. They are the first non-“super club” to reach this stage of the competition, and the underdog tag suits them entering the bracket.
The Champion Play-off: bracket and dates
The play-off semi-finals are scheduled for 16-17 May 2026, with the final on 30-31 May 2026. Seeding follows regular-season finishing position:
- Semi-final 1: Lyon (1) vs Nantes (4)
- Semi-final 2: Paris FC (2) vs Paris Saint-Germain (3)
The Paris FC vs PSG meeting carries an extra edge after Paris FC defeated PSG in the recent Coupe de France final — a result that has reshaped the dynamic between the two clubs heading into a winner-takes-all knockout.
Final regular-season standings (top four)
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OL Lyonnes | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 76 | 11 | +65 | 60 |
| 2 | Paris FC | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 46 | 16 | +30 | 48 |
| 3 | Paris Saint-Germain | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 48 | 26 | +22 | 47 |
| 4 | Nantes | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 42 | 34 | +8 | 41 |
What to watch in the play-off
Lyon enter as overwhelming favourites — they have not lost a domestic match in nine months — but the play-off format is built precisely to make a domestic dynasty earn it twice. Nantes will defend deep, hit on the break and look to keep the tie within touching distance over 90 minutes. PSG, smarting from the Coupe de France loss, will see the Paris FC semi-final as a chance to reset their season; Paris FC, conversely, will believe two wins puts a first Première Ligue title within reach.
Whoever lifts the trophy on 30-31 May, Lyon’s 60-point, unbeaten regular season will stand on its own as one of the most dominant league phases in the French women’s top flight in years.
Match highlights
Photo: Olympique Lyonnais arriving at the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, May 2024. Credit: Loxyger via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
