Championnat National U17

About Championnat National U17

History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

The Championnat National U17 is France’s top league for under-17 football. Organized by the French Football Federation (FFF), it was founded in 1990 and officially became an under-17 event in 2007.

The league follows a summer-to-spring schedule and includes 84 teams each season—83 from France and one from Monaco. Participants are divided into six regional groups of 14 teams, with each club facing every other side in their group twice in a double round-robin format, resulting in a total of 26 matches. After the group stage, the six group winners and the two best runners-up advance to the playoffs to determine the champion.

French powerhouses like Lyon, PSG, and Marseille have been dominant in the Championnat National U17. AJ Auxerre won the inaugural title in 1990-91, while FC Sochaux-Montbéliard claimed the first trophy when the competition rebranded as an under-17 tournament.