A second Paris football club has reached France’s first division

Pierre Ferracci had been waiting for this moment for 13 years. In 2012, he took over as president of Paris FC (PFC), which was languishing in the third tier of French football, with the dream of bringing it back to Ligue 1. That dream became a reality on Friday, May 2, thanks to the club’s draw against Martigues (1-1) and Metz’s simultaneous draw against Rodez (3-3). Sitting second in Ligue 2, four points ahead of third-placed FC Metz, PFC can no longer be overtaken, with one matchday remaining in the league.

For the club’s supporters, the wait had been even longer. Their club, founded in 1969, has spent only three seasons in the top flight of French football, the last time being in 1978-1979. This season, they experienced two historic events: the promotion to Ligue 1 and, last fall, the purchase of the club by the Arnault family, who became the majority shareholders and will take full control at the end of the 2026-2027 season.

The millions from the richest family in France have not yet been injected into PFC, meaning the promotion to the top division was achieved entirely thanks to the project built by Ferracci over several years. The prospect of their Arnaults’ arrival, though, had allowed him to bolster the budget for the 2024-2025 season.

A delicate phase in early winter

Ferracci was able to target players sought after by Ligue 1 clubs – Jean-Philippe Krasso, Maxime Lopez – by promising them the arrival of ambitious investors, without revealing who. The gamble paid off, but PFC had a scare this season, nearly haunted by the failures of recent years. The Parisian club had come close to Ligue 1 but faltered four times during promotion playoffs (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024).

“Everyone knows we’re going to get there in the end,” Ferracci had told The world at the beginning of November. At that time, his team was leading the Ligue 2 standings. In the weeks that followed, maybe shaken by the announcement of the Arnault family’s investment, PFC won only two out of nine league matches from late October to mid-January.

“They [the Arnaults] told us that staying in Ligue 2 for two or three years isn’t a problem for them,” Ferracci had said. However, an additional season – or more – in the second tier was not what PFC supporters envisioned after the purchase. Driven by this popular expectation, Stéphane Gilli’s players successfully completed their final sprint, with eight wins and only one loss in the last 10 matches.

‘Settling in the top half of the table’

The city of Paris will have a derby next season. With PFC leaving its home, Stade Charléty, to move into the Stade Jean-Bouin, it will be one of the closest derbies in the world: Paris Saint-Germain’s Parc des Princes is only about 50 meters away. This change in setting is essential for the club’s transformation.

PFC will also likely be active during the summer transfer window, but will avoid “overpaying players and doing incoherent things,” warned François Ferracci, the president’s son and PFC’s sporting director, speaking to The world in November. The newly promoted club is supported in its venture by the Red Bull group, which is bringing its sports expertise to the project.

“As soon as we move up to Ligue 1, we’ll need to establish ourselves in the top half of the table,” Pierre Ferracci had said. The 72-year-old leader, overjoyed at the final whistle in Martigues on Friday, will hand over the presidency of PFC to Antoine Arnault, the son of Bernard Arnault, at the end of the 2026-2027 season. In what situation? “In Ligue 1 and in European competitions, but not necessarily in the Champions League,” he hoped. With this promotion, PFC can “dream bigger,” like Paris Saint-Germain, its neighbor and new rival. Provided it maintains its top-flight status from next season onwards.