Montpellier rediscover their winning touch to claim a Third French Super Cup

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IN PROGRESS

Montpellier have added another trophy to their honours list, defeating Paris Volley 3–0 to win the 2026 French Super Cup at the Palais des Sports de Gentilly in Nancy. The reigning French champions prevailed 25:21, 32:30, 25:23 in a final that lasted approximately 90 minutes, with the scoreline disguising just how fiercely Paris contested the encounter.
For Montpellier, the victory represents their third Super Cup triumph, following their successes in 2022 and 2024, and a timely return to winning ways after a challenging start to the 2026/27 campaign.

The occasion brought together the two teams that had claimed France’s major domestic honours last season: Montpellier, crowned national champions, and Paris, winners of the Coupe de France.
Both sides arrived in Nancy searching for a response: Montpellier had managed just one victory in their opening five Alterna Volstar Ligue A matches, while Paris had also struggled for consistency. Each team had endured a run of three consecutive defeats across competitions, making the Super Cup an opportunity to reset their season and lift the first trophy of the new campaign.

Montpellier made the stronger start, taking the opening set 25–21. Paris remained competitive, but the champions showed greater composure as the set reached its decisive moments.
The second set, however, became the defining chapter of the final. The two teams traded momentum in an intense battle, with both sides having multiple opportunities to close out the set. Paris came close to levelling the match, but Montpellier repeatedly found solutions under pressure. At the heart of their resistance was Nicolas Le Goff, whose influence at the net proved particularly important. The French international middle blocker helped disrupt Paris’ attacking rhythm, making his presence felt through a series of crucial blocking contributions. Montpellier eventually prevailed 32–30, a result that left Paris facing the difficult task of recovering from a two-set deficit despite having pushed the champions to the limit.
Paris refused to surrender in the third set.
The capital side continued to challenge Montpellier and managed to build a three-point advantage, threatening to extend the final. Yet the champions once again demonstrated the experience and resilience that had carried them to the top of French volleyball last season. Simon Hirsch raised his level during the closing stages, helping Montpellier erase the deficit and bring the contest to a conclusion. The set finished 25–23, confirming a straight-set victory and allowing Montpellier to celebrate their first silverware of the season.

The triumph carries particular significance for a club whose recent history has been marked by sustained success.
Montpellier secured their ninth French championship in May 2026, completing a dominant playoff campaign in which they lost only two sets across six matches. Their title-winning group featured several key figures, including Le Goff, Quentin Jouffroy, German international Simon Hirsch and Argentine captain Ezequiel Palacios. The Super Cup victory now provides another milestone in the club’s recent rise, while also offering an important boost to a team still seeking to rediscover its consistency in the league.
For Paris, the defeat will be frustrating given the quality of their performance, particularly in the second set.
The Coupe de France holders showed they could match Montpellier for long stretches, but the inability to convert their opportunities proved costly. The final also highlighted the challenge facing a young Parisian squad as it seeks to establish itself among the leading teams in France. Despite missing out on the trophy, their resistance against the reigning champions offered encouraging signs for the remainder of the season.

The 2026 Super Cup was also part of a major volleyball occasion in Nancy, where the men’s final opened a double-header featuring the women’s Super Cup between Vandœuvre Nancy and Volley Mulhouse Alsace later in the day. With both competitions bringing together the previous season’s leading teams, the event marked an important celebration of French professional volleyball.
Montpellier leave Nancy with more than just another trophy. After a difficult opening to the season, they have secured a victory built on experience, composure and their ability to perform in the most demanding moments. Paris pushed them hard, particularly in a second set that could have changed the course of the final, but the champions ultimately made the difference when it mattered most. The Super Cup may be an early-season prize, yet for Montpellier it could prove to be the turning point they needed.