The ultimate showpiece of French football takes center stage as RC Lens faces OGC Nice in the highly anticipated 2026 Coupe de France Final. For its 109th edition, the historic knockout tournament heads to the iconic Stade de France in Saint-Denis for a high-stakes clash where national glory and silverware hang in the balance.
Both French Ligue 1 teams, 1 RC Lens arrives at the final looking to script a historic chapter by securing their first-ever Coupe de France trophy. Meanwhile, OGC Nice is determined to cap off their grueling knockout journey by capturing their first major domestic cup since 1997.
Coupe de France Final Match Details: Date, Time & Venue
- Fixture: RC Lens vs. OGC Nice (109th Coupe de France Final)
- Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
- Kick-off Time: 21:00 CEST (Local Time) / 8:00 PM BST / 3:00 PM ET
- Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
- Referee: Jérôme Brisard (France)
The Road to the Stade de France
Both sides have endured incredibly dramatic, high-scoring, and nerve-wracking runs to book their places in Saint-Denis.
RC Lens’ Cup Run:
- Round of 64: Lens 3–1 Feignies
- Round of 32: Sochaux 0–3 Lens
- Round of 16: Troyes 2–4 Lens
- Quarter-Finals: Lyon 2–2 Lens (Lens won 5–4 on penalties)
- Semi-Finals: Lens 4–1 Toulouse
OGC Nice’s Cup Run:
- Round of 64: Nice 2–1 Saint-Étienne
- Round of 32: Nantes 1–1 Nice (Nice won 5–3 on penalties)
- Round of 16: Nice 3–2 Montpellier
- Quarter-Finals: Lorient 0–0 Nice (Nice won 6–5 on penalties)
- Semi-Finals: Strasbourg 0–2 Nice
Team News & Tactical Analysis
RC Lens
Lens is heavily motivated by their historical ghosts in this competition. Having reached the Coupe de France final three times in their history—most recently in 1998—they have tragically lost on every single occasion. They enter this fixture with confidence, leaning on a highly dynamic attacking system spearheaded by Wesley Saïd, Florian Thauvin, and Allan Saint-Maximin, who recently scored in their domestic meetings.
- Key Strengths: High transitional speed and clinical execution from wide areas.
- Injury Update: Samson Baidoo and Malang Sarr are expected to anchor the central defense, shielding young goalkeeper Robin Risser.
OGC Nice
Nice has shown extreme psychological resilience throughout this tournament, surviving two separate penalty shootouts on the road. Star forward Elye Wahi has been the club’s absolute talisman in the competition, most notably firing a spectacular brace in the semi-final triumph over Strasbourg to seal their final berth.
- Key Strengths: Defensive organization and sudden counter-attacking efficiency.
- Tactical Focus: Tanguy Ndombele and Morgan Sanson will need to dictate the tempo in deep areas to prevent Lens from overloading the midfield spaces.
Head-to-Head Record (2025/26 Season)
The two sides are extremely familiar with each other, having played out intense tactical battles in domestic competition over the past few months:
- May 2, 2026: OGC Nice 1–1 RC Lens (Ligue 1)
- December 14, 2025: RC Lens 2–0 OGC Nice (Ligue 1)
Lens vs Nice Starting Lineups XI – Coupe de France Final
RC Lens Starting XI (4-3-3):
- GK: Robin Risser
- DF: Ismaëlo Ganiou, Malang Sarr, Arthur Masuaku
- MF: Saud Abdulhamid, Adrien Thomasson, Mamadou Sangaré, Matthieu Udol
- FW: Florian Thauvin, Wesley Saïd, Odsonne Édouard
OGC Nice Starting XI (4-3-3):
- GK: Yehvann Diouf
- DF: Antoine Mendy, Dante, Kojo Peprah Oppong
- MF: Jonathan Clauss, Melvin Bard, Morgan Sanson, Charles Vanhoutte, Hicham Boudaoui
- FW: Sofiane Diop, Mohamed-Ali Cho (or Kevin Carlos if Elye Wahi remains sidelined by injury)
Match Prediction: RC Lens 2–1 OGC Nice (After Extra Time)
Knockout football at the Stade de France rarely yields a straightforward 90 minutes. While OGC Nice possesses the individual defensive grit to neutralize threats and strike on the break through Elye Wahi, RC Lens’ superior attacking volume and fluid chemistry give them a slight edge. Expect a highly tactical affair that could stretch into extra time, with Lens ultimately edging out a victory to lift their first-ever Coupe de France crown.
