Uncertainty Looms Over 2026 Coupe de France Final Date and Venue Amid French National Team World Cup Preparations

The 2026 Coupe de France final faces ongoing uncertainty regarding its date and location, with potential venues including Stade de France, Lille’s Pierre-Mauroy Stadium, and Lyon’s Groupama Stadium. Currently scheduled for May 23, 2025, the match’s confirmation remains pending due to complications with ongoing construction at Stade de France and transport disruptions caused by the Grand Paris Express project. Jean-François Vilotte, general director of the French Football Federation (FFF), explained that state authorities insist the final can only be held on a Friday night to accommodate transport logistics, conflicting with the Europa League final on May 20 in Istanbul, which precludes moving the final earlier. Both Lille and Lyon remain potential venues, but each still compete in ongoing tournaments, delaying a final decision. Vilotte indicated a decision might emerge after the eighth finals of the Coupe de France and early Europa League knockout rounds.

Meanwhile, France’s national football team, led by Didier Deschamps in his final World Cup as coach, is gearing up for the tournament commencing June 11. The team will play a preparatory match on June 4 in Nantes—the city where Deschamps began his career—against an African team that featured in the Africa Cup of Nations. A second warm-up game is expected on June 8, likely at Paris' Parc des Princes. Following these matches, the squad will head to their World Cup base in Boston, as the competition unfolds across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

These developments illustrate logistical challenges in French football spanning domestic cup conflicts and international tournament preparations, reflecting the complexities of scheduling during a year dense with major football events.