Ligue 2 season opens with favorites near the top

As the 2025-26 Ligue 2 season starts, favorites from relegated Ligue 1 set the pace while off season moves could reshape the race.

Ligue 2 Reboot Sets Stage as Reims and Saint-Etienne Lead the Pack

Less than a month after the Club World Cup, Ligue 2 resumes this weekend in France. Reims and Saint-Etienne headline the field, seen by many as the teams to beat. They will likely carry the weight of expectations even as they shed a few players to balance budgets. Diouf, Kipré, Sangui and Koné have left, but the clubs maintain a solid core. Reims has added experienced defender Nicolas Pallois and midfielder Yohan Demoncy to keep the team competitive, while Saint-Etienne has spent almost 18 million euros to activate purchase options and boost depth. Stars like Davitashvili, Stassin, Atangana and Nakamura may shine abroad, yet the newcomers should keep the club’s promotion bid among the main talking points.

Dunkerque faces upheaval after coach Luis Castro left for Nantes and his successor Gonçalo Feio lasted fifteen days. Albert Sanchez, a 38 year old former Barcelona reserve coach, steps in to restore balance and keep the attack minded style the club showed last season. The opening day sees Dunkerque at home to Clermont at 20 00, a match that could set the tone for their campaign. Guingamp remains a club to watch after finishing high last season and signing Louis Mafouta from Amiens, who scored 35 goals in the last three seasons. The Brittany club has a habit of starting fast, delivering a four goal win in each of the last three openers. Le Mans travels to Guingamp on Saturday, a tough test that could reveal early weaknesses or strengths for both sides.

The season is not just a test of skill but of balance sheet discipline. The heavy spending by Saint-Etienne and the measured recruitment at Reims suggest a broader trend: clubs are betting that financial health is as decisive as on pitch form when chasing promotion. A quick start remains valuable, but the real pressure will come from the ability to sustain performance while managing cash flow and squad depth.

Beyond the headlines at the top, the league also shows how volatility in management can ripple through teams. Dunkerque will try to steady a ship that changed captains mid summer, while Guingamp kepes a pattern of aggressive openings that fans expect. The opening weekend will offer early clues about who can convert initial optimism into a durable campaign and who will face a tighter margin between ambition and reality.

Highlights

The season will test both talent and tenacity, and the standings may shift as budgets meet ball on the field.