UEFA coefficient: France faces major risks

UEFA coefficient: France under threat

UEFA coefficient: France faces major risks

A night of mixed fortunes for French clubs. At the Allianz Riviera, OGC Nice once again hit their European glass ceiling, falling 2-1 to AS Roma and extending their winless streak on the continental stage to thirteen matches. The upcoming Europa League schedule for Les Aiglons, with trips to Fenerbahçe, Celta Vigo, and Porto, as well as a home clash against Freiburg, leaves little room to catch their breath. On the flip side, two powerhouses reaffirmed their pedigree. LOSC tamed Brann Bergen 2-1 thanks to new signings Hamza Igamane and Olivier Giroud, clinching a hard-fought contest with superior game management in the dying minutes. OL reignited their campaign away from home with a 1-0 victory at Utrecht, sealed by a crisp strike from Tanner Tessmann. Two precious wins that keep the French flame alive in a week of ups and downs.

UEFA coefficient: France holds its ground but feels the Belgian heat

As of the standings frozen on September 26, 2025, France sits on 3.642 points with seven clubs still in the running, trailing well behind the current pace-setters Denmark, Portugal, and England. Over five seasons, France remains fifth with 68.819 points, behind England, Italy, Spain, and Germany. The most credible threat doesn’t come from the Netherlands or Portugal, but from Belgium. Club Brugge, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Genk have kicked off their campaigns convincingly, pushing Belgium’s total to 5.300 points for the season and 55.750 over five years. Crucially, their poor 2021-2022 campaign will soon drop out of the calculation, just as France loses a strong vintage. The theoretical gap could shrink to less than a point. In other words, the margin for error is razor-thin.

How France can avoid slipping behind

The collective trajectory hinges on turning solid European performances into tangible results: converting draws into wins, locking down matches in the closing stages, and maximizing points at home. For Nice, the urgency is twofold—halt the negative spiral and pick up points against reputable opponents, or risk a heavy toll on the coefficient. Lille and Lyon must turn their promising starts into sustained runs, as deep campaigns are what truly fuel the ranking. France isn’t out of the race, but prolonged lapses are no longer an option. The battle for coefficient supremacy is fought in autumn, far from the spring showdowns. Every victory, every away draw, every hard-fought qualification now counts for more than just weekly relief.