A new season gets under way this weekend in France's top two professional women's football divisions, the Arkema Première League and the Seconde Ligue.
They may have rebranded from OL Féminin to OL Lyonnes, but the 2025 Arkema Première League champions have no intention of changing anything when it comes to their domination of French women's football – going after an 18th title in 19 years.
Paris Saint-Germain interrupted their run in 2021 and, along with Paris FC, the French capital's other club, they are expected to offer the main challenge to the Lyon side – a team that won 20 of their 22 games before waltzing through the play-offs to be crowned league champions last season.
On Sunday, OL Lyonnes will play host to newly promoted Marseille side at Lyon's 59,000 seat Groupama Stadium – the same arena used by the Ligue 1 men's team.
It is the first time in a major European league that a women's side will play all their league and cup matches at the same venue as their male counterparts.
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"It's about redefining what's possible in women's football," said OL Lyonnes president Michele Kang. “As part of our commitment to setting the gold standard for women’s sports and inspiring future generations, creating a world-first environment for champions to thrive is paramount."
She added: “By investing in infrastructure that meets – and exceeds – the bar set by top men’s clubs, we are showing the world that women’s football has earned its rightful place on the world stage.”
The division will be televised
Uefa, European football's ruling body, which organised the 2025 women's European championships in Switzerland, said around 400 million people watched the matches on TV during the 25-day tournament, which culminated in a penalty shoot-out victory for England over Spain.
French broadcasters CStar and Canal+ will show the match between OL Lyonnes and Marseilles, while Canal+ Foot will broadcast Saturday night's game between RC Lens and PSG.
The other four matches will be shown on the Arkema Première Ligue's YouTube channel.
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Top games in the Seconde Ligue will also be televised after the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the French professional game's governing body, signed a rights deal with the French Olympic committee's TV station Sport en France.
"It's a good move," said Louna Lapassouse, a striker with second tier Toulouse FC. "It's true that women's football in general struggles to reach a wider audience, and it's perhaps a little more so in France. I think it will be great that we can see women's football in a broader perspective."
Toulouse, who kick off their campaign at Le Mans on Sunday afternoon, finished the 2024/2025 Second Ligue season in third place, eight points behind Lens and Marseille.
"It was a good season even if we didn't go up," said Lapassouse. "Toulouse was newly promoted from the third division so people didn't really know us very well. I think this year we'll have to be wary and prepare for all the teams. This season I think they're going to be better prepared for us."
