Sport

The most successful sides in French Cup history

In France, the Coupe de France has been one of the most fascinating competitions to watch in any sport. Always capable of throwing up some odd results, it has seen sides from around the world compete taking in teams from overseas departments such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion and New Caledonia as well as the small country of Monaco. Despite this globe-hopping potential, most of the success can be found on the French mainland with plenty of established names emerging victorious down the years. Having been ran for over a century, there have been some teams that have proved to be domestic cup specialists. So who are the most successful sides in French Cup history?

 

Red Star Paris (5 wins)

One of the oldest clubs in France, Paris-based Red Star FC enjoyed a lot of success in the early days of French football. This was proven by their French Cup record in the 1920s where they won 4 titles during that decade. Their hot streak included 3-straight wins from 1921-1923 before adding a fourth title in 1928. During World War II, they would be the first team to win five cup finals after defeating FC Sete 2-0. Since then, the club have faded into the lower leagues of French football and are still seeking to restore the club back to their former glory.

 

RC Paris (5 wins)

Racing Club Paris are best known for their rugby-union side however the football side of the association have enjoyed success of their own in the past. Within the French Cup, RC Paris dominated during the Interwar period. After securing their first win in 1936 by FCO Charleville 1-0, RC Paris would win three titles during World War II as France came to a standstill. They added a fifth title in 1949 to cap off a hugely successful era in the French Cup. Since then, they have made fleeting appearances in the latter stages including a 2-1 loss to Montpellier in the 1990 final. RC Paris have dropped into the regional leagues of France making them a footnote in French football history.

 

Lyon (5 wins)

Despite Lyon dominating French football for much of the early 21st century, it is amazing to think that L’OL have only won the French Cup on 5 occasions. Their first three successes came during a successful spell. In the 1960s and 1970s where they reached 5 finals in 10 years. They would emerge victorious on three occasions – in 1964,1967 and 1973. It wouldn’t be until the 21st century when Lyon would add more cup wins to their trophy cabinet. Their fourth trophy came in 2008 when a Sidney Govou strike saw them overcome PSG in extra time to win 1-0. A fifth trophy followed in 2012 where Lyon overcame minnows Quevilly 1-0 thanks to a goal from Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez. Proof that Lyon are one of France’s strongest sides of recent years

 

Monaco (5 wins)

It’s not often that sides from another country can win a domestic title but Monaco have done this on five separate occasions. Based in the Principality of Monaco, Les Monegasques have done this on five separate occasions. They enjoyed a strong spell during the 1960s winning their first trophy in 1960 before winning another in 1963. More success came in the 1980s where Monaco overcame Orleans in 1980 3-1 before defeating PSG 1-0 in 1985. Their final cup win came in 1991 when they defeated rivals Marseille 1-0 to win their fifth trophy. Proof how sides can still be victorious when crossing over borders.

 

Lille (6 wins)

Lille have found fluctuating form down the years in French Cup history as they have been successful in several decades. Most of their success came in the 1940s where they won three titles in succession from 1946-1948. They came close to repeating this in the 1950s where they won two more finals in both 1953 and 1955. It wouldn’t be until over 60 years where they claimed one more trophy after defeating PSG 1-0 after a late goal from Ludovic Obraniak. It was a sign that Lille were resurgent once again as a top side in French football.

 

Saint-Etienne (6 wins)

One of France’s more successful sides, Saint-Etienne have been no stranger to winning the French Cup on multiple occasions. Almost all of this success came during the team’s famous era of the 1960s and 1970s where they were almost an ever-present part of the latter stages. After winning their first trophy in 1962, they would go on to become regular finalist for much of the 1970s. This included 4 titles wins during this era from 1970-1977. It capped off a highly successful time for ASSE and their last wins in the competition despite reaching their last final back in 2020.

 

Marseille (10 wins)

You will be hard pressed to find sides that have experienced both joy and heartbreak in the French Cup quite like Olympique Marseille. L’OM have plenty of success down the years having appeared in at least one final in every decade of the 20th century since their first triumph in 1924. Indeed, they won three finals in four years from 1924-1927. They experienced more repeated wins in the 1970s as they won the finals in both 1972 and 1976. After this, they would only win one more final –  when they defeated Monaco 4-3 thanks to a Jean-Pierre Papin hat-trick. In their history, Marseille have lost 9 finals in 19 appearances – a joint-record for reaching the final stage of the French Cup.

 

Paris Saint-Germain (14 wins)

Compared to other Parisian clubs, PSG were late to pick up French Cup title wins but since their first trophy in 1982, they have made the competition their own. After back to back successes in 1982 and 1983, they would add three more French cup trophies to their honour list during the 1990s. However, their success would become unparalleled in the 21st century. With PSG receiving heavy investment from new owners, they would dominate during the 2010s appearing in every final from 2015-2021. Having won 7 finals between 2010-2021, it has made them by far the most successful side in French Cup competition and underlined their dominance of the domestic scene in recent years.