They said the curse would never lift. After 120 years of agonizing near-misses, broken hearts, and three lost finals, the wait is officially over. RC Lens are the champions of France! Pierre Sage’s side put on an absolute masterclass at the Stade de France, dismantling OGC Nice 3-1 to hoist the Coupe de France for the very first time in their history.
For a club that has defined its identity through working-class grit and undying fan loyalty, this wasn’t just a football match—it was an emotional exorcism.
Red Hot Start at the Stade de France
From the opening whistle, the Sang et Or (Blood and Gold) looked like a team possessed. They didn’t just walk onto the pitch; they swarmed it. With an electric atmosphere bouncing from the stands, Lens needed only 25 minutes to break the deadlock. Matthieu Udol delivered a magnificent ball, allowing veteran forward Florian Thauvin to ghost past the Nice backline and slot home a brilliant opener.
Nice, struggling to find any rhythm, were caught completely off-guard by the intensity of the Lens press. Before Claude Puel’s side could even regroup, Lens struck again in the 42nd minute. Thauvin turned provider this time, turning his marker inside out before feeding Odsonne Édouard, who made no mistake from close range to make it 2-0.
But just as the Lens faithful were beginning to plan the half-time celebrations, a twist arrived. In first-half stoppage time, 17-year-old Nice midfielder Djibril Coulibaly rose highest to flick a header past Robin Risser on his first-ever domestic start. Suddenly, it was 2-1, and the ghosts of 1998 began whispering in the ears of the traveling fans.
Sima Seals Immortality
The second half turned into a tactical chess match. Nice came out re-energized, desperate to save their season. They pushed Lens deep into their own territory and twice struck the woodwork, sending shivers down the spines of the Blood and Gold contingent.
However, Pierre Sage pulled off a tactical masterstroke by introducing fresh legs, and it paid off beautifully. In the 78th minute, a catastrophic defensive mix-up in the Nice penalty area saw the ball break loose. Substitute Abdallah Sima reacted fastest, pouncing onto the loose ball to blast it into the back of the net, sealing a historic 3-1 victory.
The final whistle triggered pure, unadulterated chaos. Flares illuminated the Saint-Denis sky as players collapsed to the ground in tears of joy. Lens had finally done it.
A Historic Double on the Horizon?
This Coupe de France victory caps off a breathtaking season for RC Lens. Having already secured a stunning second-place finish in Ligue 1—just six points behind powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain—this trophy is the ultimate reward for their progress. For Nice, the heartbreak is doubled, as they must now quickly dust themselves off to face the grueling relegation playoffs after a miserable 16th-place finish in the league.
But tonight belongs exclusively to the North of France. The curse is dead, the trophy is coming home to Stade Bollaert-Delelis, and the party in Lens is bound to go on for days!
