Ligue 1 clubs plan for extended summer as World Cup lengthens pre-season | OneFootball

Ligue 1 faces a 98-day gap between the final matchday of 2025-2026 and the 2026-2027 kick-off on the weekend of 23 August, a World Cup-driven pause that is reshaping pre-season plans. According to L'Équipe, clubs are recalibrating workloads, particularly for those not at the tournament.

Paris FC return on 1 July with the opening 15 days earmarked for switching off, and players have personalised guidelines to manage weight and body fat. Performance boss Pascal Faure warns against arriving overcooked after a self-run “pre-pre-season”, which can undermine tolerance to training loads. Strasbourg’s Gary O’Neil intends to use the window to rewatch large parts of the campaign.

Le Mans, back on 6 July, will stretch their usual six-week build-up and include a mid-pre-season pause. Coach Patrick Videira stresses players need holidays after a year with no free weekends due to league and Coupe de France commitments, adding a light-hearted apology to partners for the past two seasons.

Troyes regroup on 29 June and resume training on 1 July, with performance lead Benjamin Lebrun saying the club can build up gradually, a rare luxury. At Auxerre, Christophe Pelissier’s exit has not altered the roadmap, with players given running and strength work plus guidance on nutrition, hydration and sleep before a 13 July restart following medicals.

Lyon are back on 29 June with the Champions League third qualifying round in early August in mind. Monaco start on 6 July, a week later than last year. Lens, after winning the Coupe de France final against Nice 3-1 on 22 May, rest until 9 July, the same date Angers resume. PSG have only 74 days between their Champions League final win over Arsenal, 1-1, 4-3 on penalties, and the UEFA Super Cup against Aston Villa on 12 August in Salzburg.

Marseille’s plans remain clouded with no confirmed coach or staff. In Toulouse, new manager Jens Berthel Askou is settling in and no firm date was set, though some players expect an early to mid-July return. Lorient are also still without a head coach.

Source: L'Équipe