Historic triumph! The winner of the Coupe de France is revealed – their first-ever cup victory
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
Lens rewrote their history on the legendary pitch of the Stade de France.
Details: In a dramatic final, charged with electrifying passion both in the stands and beyond the arena, Pierre Sage’s men defeated Nice 3-1. This triumph allowed the Blood and Gold to lift the coveted Coupe de France for the first time in their 120-year history, breaking the long-standing curse of the competition.
The match started with the nominal hosts dictating the play. Lens came out aggressively and made their dominance count in the 25th minute: the seasoned Florian Thauvin sent his supporters into raptures with a clinical strike. The Blood and Gold’s onslaught didn’t let up, and on the stroke of half-time, in the 42nd minute, Odsonne Edouard doubled the lead to make it 2-0.
Nice managed to breathe new life into the contest just before the break – in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Djibril Koulibaly pulled one back. In the second half, the Eagles threw everything forward in a desperate attempt to equalize, but Lens’s defense held firm and their attack struck once more. The final score: 3-1.
This victory is truly momentous for Lens. The club had previously reached the Coupe de France final three times (in 1948, 1975, and 1998), each time falling short. Their last shot at the trophy was 28 years ago, when they heartbreakingly lost 2-1 to PSG in 1998. Today, the old curse is officially broken – Lens celebrates their first, thoroughly deserved cup triumph.
It’s worth noting that French President Emmanuel Macron was in attendance for the match.
Reminder: On the eve of the Coupe de France final in Paris, chaos erupted as PSG ultras attacked Nice supporters.
