For the first time in 46 years, two clubs from Paris – Paris Saint Germain and Paris FC will play in the French Ligue 1 next season after the latter secured promotion from Ligue 2 on Friday.
Paris FC sealed their promotion to the French top-flight after travelling down south to hold Martigues to a 1-1 draw.
The result was enough for them to join Lorient as the two teams with automatic promotion while Metz, Dunkerque and Guingamp battle in the playoffs for the third and final promotion slot.
The party is far from over in Paris, with the Parisians narrowly trailing Lorient in the title chase. As things stand in the Ligue 2, only two points separate the two teams and Paris FC will host Ajaccio for their final game on May 10.
What to know about Paris FC
Paris FC has been in existence for over 55 years but it regained its professional status in 2015 after competing in amateur leagues.
Financially, the Parisians are backed by one of the richest families in the world, the Arnault family – owners of world’s largest luxury conglomerate LVMH and they are the majority shareholders of the club while Red Bull, Alter Paris and BRI are minority shareholders.
Meanwhile, the owner of Alter Paris, Pierre Ferracci has been the president of Paris FC since 2012 and he will continue in that role for two more years after selling the majority of his shares to the Arnault family in 2024.
The club is prominent in France for producing a pool of talents that have went on to play for the French national team. Ibrahima Konate, Axel Disasi, Nordi Mukiele are some high-profile stars who came through the ranks at Paris FC.
Return of Paris derby
The city of lights will be luminated by top-flight derby for the first time in over four decades when PFC and PSG face off in the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season.
The excitement is beyond the suspenseful action that will be on display when the two teams face and it includes the geographical proximity of their home grounds with the Stade Jean-Bouin and the Parc des Princes just 44 metres apart in the same vicinity (the 16th arrondissement of Paris).
Following their split as a joint club in 1972, Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain have only faced each other in two official matches in the French top-flight in 1978.
Both games took place at the Parc des Princes and ended 2-2 on August 18, 1978 then another 1-1 draw on December 17, 1978.
Sometime in June or July, tourists and not just fans of the Paris clubs will be looking forward to the fixtures schedule for the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season to plan their trips and weekend getaways.
