The different French football championships have revealed their outcomes for 2026 during this Ascension weekend. In Franche-Comté, there are more relegated teams – at the regional level, no less – (Jura Sud, Besançon Foot, FCSM reserve) than happy promoted teams (Sochaux and Vesoul).
The football Franche-Comté region is obviously not tired of it, since the memorable evening of Friday, May 15, 2026, when FC Sochaux-Montbéliard officially ascended to Ligue 2 at their packed Bonal stadium with 20,000 passionate supporters allowed – without any issues, for the occasion – celebrating this long-awaited event directly on the field as soon as the final whistle blew in the draw (2-2) against Le Puy.
This Ascension weekend was also the final day of the season across all the various French championships. And the overall outcome for the Franche-Comté teams involved is not as joyful. FC Vesoul will indeed return to the national level, but unfortunately, several regional clubs are relegated, including Jura Sud, which frequented the regional level for the last time in 1996, and the FCSM reserve, which last did so in 1957.
For the Haut-Jura club, it’s a painful step back, even if “we are working on rebuilding an ambitious project,” says their President Olivier Pagani. Thirty years have passed since their first team played at the regional level in 1996. It’s especially unexpected given their recent struggles in 2023 and 2024 to climb to National 1, the 3rd tier of French football. But for the past two years, things have not gone well. After 22 consecutive seasons in the fourth tier of French football, Jura Sud has suffered two successive relegations: from National 2 to National 3, and now to Regional 1 by finishing second-last in their N3 group.
A similar gloomy verdict was experienced by the FCSM reserve team, a sad first since 1957. They will also descend to the regional level, along with Besançon Football, who finished last in their shared group with the young Sochaux team – second to last – in N3, after eleven years in the amateur French championship (CFA2 as Besançon FC, then N3 as Besançon Football from 2017). BF is now back in R1, relying on its numerous members, with just over 600, making it the largest Franc-Comtois club this season.
Promoted to N3, FC Vesoul aims to once again represent the Haute-Saône region proudly. Three regional teams were relegated from the 5th and final national division, while Vesoul regains this level two years after relegation to R1. After an excellent 2025-2026 season, leading their R1 group significantly, the club wants to establish itself permanently in French football, following their successful period from 1994 to 2014.
FC Vesoul is back at the national level, where they will meet Racing Besançon, CA Pontarlier, Jura-Dolois, and ASM Belfort, who all stayed in N3 this season since they did not manage to promote to the higher tier, unlike the Bisontin team among others. Next season, these five Franc-Comtois teams will compete in National 2, the new name for what used to be National 3, as a consequence of the renaming of current National 1 to League 3, and N2 becoming N1… and N3, ultimately N2. We’ll get used to it… Just wait and see, we’ll adapt.
