Ligue 1 Daily Report - 2026-05-23

Lens won the Coupe de France for the first time in their history, beating Nice 3-1 at the Stade de France to cap a remarkable 2025-26 campaign. Florian Thauvin opened the scoring in the 25th/26th minute range, Odsonne Edouard added a second before half-time, and Djibril Coulibaly's reply could not stop Lens from taking control of the final.

The victory matters beyond the silverware because Lens had previously lost all three of their French Cup final appearances, with the last coming in 1998. After pushing Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 before finishing second, six points behind, Pierre Sage's side have now turned near-misses into a major trophy and reinforced their status as one of France's strongest teams.

Sukurat Oladipo's rise from Robo Queens in Lagos to AS Roma Women has been rewarded with a major individual honour after she was named Best Defender in Italy's Serie A Women. The Super Falcons centre-back also finished the 2025-26 season in the Serie A Women Team of the Year, less than a year after joining Roma during the 2025 winter transfer window.

Her award underlines how quickly she has settled in Italy and how influential she was in Roma's title-winning season. For Nigerian women's football, it is another sign that domestic talent can make an immediate impact at elite European level and still collect top-end recognition in a league as competitive as Serie A Women.

Orlando Pirates sealed the South African top-flight crown with a 2-0 final-day win over Orbit College in Nelspruit, ending a 14-year wait for the league title. Two own goals proved decisive as the Soweto club finished on 69 points, one clear of Mamelodi Sundowns, who had completed their season on 68.

The result is significant because it halted Sundowns' long domestic dominance and delivered Pirates' first league championship in more than a decade. The pressure of the final day made the margin razor-thin, but Pirates held their nerve when the title race came down to one last match.

Persib Bandung retained the Indonesia Super League after a goalless draw with Persijap Jepara at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium, securing the 2025/26 championship on 23 May 2026. The point was enough to finish level on 79 with Borneo FC, but Persib's superior head-to-head record kept them in front.

It was Persib's third consecutive league title and their fifth championship in Indonesia's professional era, making the club the country's dominant force of the moment. The fact they held on under pressure, despite Borneo FC's 7-1 win over Malut United, shows how tight the race was at the top.

Auckland FC beat Sydney 1-0 in the Grand Final to become the first New Zealand team to win an A-League championship. Cameron Howieson scored the decisive goal in the 60th minute, a volley from distance that deflected past goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares in front of 28,374 fans at Mount Smart Stadium.

The victory is a landmark for a club only in its second season and gives New Zealand football a breakthrough moment in an Australian-led competition. Auckland now join the small group of cross-border winners in world soccer, which is why this title carries significance well beyond one trophy.

Roma head into their final Serie A match against Hellas Verona tied on points for third place with A.C. Milan, and a win would guarantee them a place in next season's Champions League. After the events of matchday 37, their fate is in their own hands, which is a major shift after a season that has kept them in the race to the end.

A return to Europe's top competition would end an eight-year absence and validate Roma's late-season surge. With so much riding on one game, the Verona fixture becomes a defining night for the club's direction, finances and summer planning.