What is the Trophee des Champions? Annual French super cup fixture dominated by PSG

Paris Saint-Germain will try to secure a record-extending triumph in the Trophee des Champions when they face Toulouse at the Parc des Princes on January 3.

Victory would give Luis Enrique his first piece of silverware as head coach in the French capital, with the traditional showpiece fixture pitting the champions of Ligue 1 against the Coupe de France holders.

However, the Trophee des Champions’ space on the French football calendar has not always been secure and the event has undergone notable changes when it comes to host venues over recent years.

The Sporting News tells you all you need to know about this standalone match organised by the Ligue de Football Professionnel.

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What is the Trophee des Champions?

The Trophee des Champions follows a format common across Europe’s major football nations. It is equivalent to the Community Shield in England, the DFL-Supercup in Germany and the Supercoppa Italiana — a one-off match between the winners of the previous season's top-flight and domestic cup competition.

It has, nevertheless, endured a more patchy history than its counterparts. The first one-off game organised between the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France winners was organised in 1949, with Reims beating Racing Paris 4-3.

The match was then inaugurated as the Challenge des Champions in 1955, with an all-conquering Reims hammering Lille 7-1.

It took place annually until 1973, when it was shelved amid a lack of interest. The Challenge des Champions returned briefly for a two-season run in 1985 and 1986 when Monaco beat Bordeaux on penalties before Les Girondins got their hands on the silverware with a 1-0 win over PSG.

After that brief reprieve, the competition returned under its current name in 1995, with PSG beating Nantes on penalties in Brest. The 1996 edition did not take place on account of Auxerre winning the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double.

The game has taken place every year since. In 2008, there was almost a similar cancellation due to that era’s dominant Lyon team lifting the domestic double, although Ligue 1 runners-up Bordeaux were drafted in and won on penalties after a 0-0 draw. 

PSG’s habit of hoarding domestic trophies over the past decade means this workaround has continued to come in handy.

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Is the Trophee des Champions played outside of France?

The final edition of the Challenge des Champions took place at Stade Guadeloupe on the French-governed Caribbean archipelago.

Bordeaux were involved once more when the game was taken out of French jurisdiction for the first time in 2009, beating Guingamp 2-0 at Montreal’s State Olympique. That was the first of 11 consecutive Trophees des Champions played overseas. 

The 2020 edition was played in January 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and returned to France at Lens’ Stade Bollaert-Delelis. A two-season sojourn at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv followed and the 2023 match was due to take place at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on August 5.

Thai organiser Fresh Air Festival pulled out of hosting and there was speculation that Qatar or Saudi Arabia would step in for a rescheduled January fixture. However, on December 1, the LFP confirmed the Parc des Princes would be the venue for the rearranged game.

It means PSG will be the first Trophee des Champions participant to play the game at their home ground since Bordeaux’s win on penalties over Lyon at Stade Chaban-Delmas in 2008. 

Trophee des Champions host venues since 2008

How many Super Cups have PSG won?

PSG lead the all-time winners list with 11 Trophees des Champions to their name. The first two of those came in 1995 and 1998, both as Coupe de France winners. 

All of the capital club’s successes since have come in the years following their takeover by Qatar Sports Investments.

A 2-1 win over Rennes in Shenzhen in 2019 took PSG out in front ahead of previous all-time leaders Lyon, who have eight Trophees des Champions in their cabinet.

OL’s dominance at the start of the 21st century accounts for the bulk of these, with seven of their eight successes coming between 2002 and 2012.

The all-time list handily maps out eras of pre-eminence, with Reims and Saint-Etienne winning five apiece but all of those coming before the Trophee des Champions era.

Trophee des Champions all-time winners

Where to watch PSG vs Toulouse in the Trophee des Champions

PSG vs Toulouse in the Trophee des Champions will kick off at 8:45 p.m. local time (CET) at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, January 3. Here's how you can watch the game in some major regions around the world