PARIS — RC Lens won the French Cup for the first time in their history on Friday, defeating Nice 3-1 at the Stade de France to cap one of the most memorable seasons in the club’s modern era.
Florian Thauvin led the way for Lens, scoring the opening goal and then setting up Odsonne Édouard from a corner for the second. Nice pulled one back through Djibril Coulibaly shortly before halftime, but Lens remained composed after the break and sealed the victory in the 78th minute when substitute Abdallah Sima finished with a low shot. It was Sima’s fifth goal in six cup matches this season.
The result ended decades of frustration for Lens in the competition. The northern club had reached the French Cup final three times before, most recently in 1998, but had never lifted the trophy. Friday’s victory delivered their first major silverware since the 1999 League Cup and sparked celebrations among roughly 50,000 travelling Lens supporters inside the national stadium.
“It is historic, extraordinary,” Thauvin told France 2 after the match. The former France international has been central to Lens’s revival this season, bringing experience and quality to a side that has combined intensity, tactical discipline and strong team spirit under coach Pierre Sage.
The French Cup triumph also adds to a remarkable league campaign. Lens finished second in Ligue 1 behind Paris Saint-Germain, securing qualification for next season’s Champions League. Their rise has been built on smart recruitment, strong organisation and a high-energy style that allowed them to challenge some of France’s wealthiest clubs.
For Nice, the defeat completed a difficult week. The club, which last won the French Cup in 1997 and also lost the 2022 final, must now turn its attention to a two-legged relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne after finishing 16th in Ligue 1.
Lens, meanwhile, will celebrate a breakthrough moment. After years of near misses and financial hardship, the club now has both a historic cup title and a return to Europe’s elite competition to look forward to.
