A joint study conducted by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the Institute IPSOS and the Association Foot Unis reveals a generally positive image for French professional football, contradicting perceptions of loss of interest often expressed. National data, updated for the 2024-2025 season, indicate that football retains a record level of interest, reaching 46% of the population, surpassing even rugby (40%). This resurgence of popularity is particularly marked among young people under the age of 35 (57%), placing football at the top of favourite sports disciplines, and is reflected in a sustained interest in Ligue 1, which has a record 22.1 million fans. Although the Champions League is progressing, it remains distanced by the constant attraction for the national championship.

The study also highlights a strong commitment to Ligue 1, which remains the favourite competition for football fans, with 40% of those interested ranking it first and 73% integrating it into their top 3. A significant number of French, 17.8 million, say they support a Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 club, which is a historic level. The report also highlights a notable progress for LOSC, whose image has been specifically analysed. The Lille club is now one of the most popular L1 clubs, with 45% of football fans declaring themselves interested, representing 12.7 million people.

Finally, the LOSC enjoys a particularly favourable image and records a historical increase in its number of supporters, reaching 2.3 million in France. This popularity is also very marked at the regional level, with 39% of the inhabitants of Hauts-de-France declaring themselves supporters of the club, making LOSC the most sustained training in the region. These figures show a growing enthusiasm for the Lille club and confirm its important role in the French sports landscape.