The Challenge Espoirs is an annual under-23 men's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

competition in France. Created in 2024, it is contested by twelve teams belonging to youth academies of professional clubs.

History

On 27 September 2024, the

French Football Federation The French Football Federation ( FFF and 3F; or Triple F; , ) is the governing body of football in France. It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital, Paris. The FFF is a founding member of FIFA and is responsible for overseeing all aspec ...

(FFF) announced the creation of the Challenge Espoirs, with the mission being to "give playing time to young players from the U18 to U23 categories, especially those are part of professional squads of

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

and

Ligue 2 Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...

clubs." The first edition, established as an unofficial competition, would include twelve teams that belong to youth academies of professional clubs.

Format

The competition is contested by twelve teams composed of under-17 through under-23 players. However, there is a maximum of five players that can come from the under-17 and under-18 categories. The first edition was split into two groups of six teams that each compete against each other once, for a total of five matchdays. At the end of the season, the top two teams of each group play semi-finals and a final to determine a champion.

Reception

The creation of the Challenge Espoirs was received with unanimous satisfaction among participants. Some directors, such as

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director Sébastien Muet, spoke positively about the competition in the press.

Clubs

References

{{Football in France 2024 establishments in France Sports leagues established in 2024 Football leagues in France Recurring sporting events established in 2024