Challenge League is a men’s football league in Switzerland, with recorded coverage from 2016 to 2025. This page brings together live scores, fixtures, results and standings, alongside player and team statistics. Whether checking match information or reviewing past seasons, visitors can use the page to find competition data in one place.
Upcoming matches, Challenge League
Regular Season - 9
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- Regular Season - 9
Neuchatel Xamax FC
Rapperswil
-
- Regular Season - 9
FC WIL 1900
Stade Nyonnais
Lidl Arena -
- Regular Season - 9
SC Kriens
Étoile Carouge
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- Regular Season - 9
FC Winterthur
FC Aarau
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- Regular Season - 9
Yverdon Sport
Stade Lausanne-OuchyStade Municipal
Regular Season - 10
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- Regular Season - 10
Neuchatel Xamax FC
FC Winterthur
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- Regular Season - 10
SC Kriens
FC WIL 1900
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- Regular Season - 10
Rapperswil
Stade Lausanne-Ouchy
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- Regular Season - 10
Stade Nyonnais
FC Aarau
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- Regular Season - 10
Étoile Carouge
Yverdon Sport
Stade de la Fontenette
Latest played matches, Challenge League
Regular Season - 8
Regular Season - 7
Challenge League Standings
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stade Lausanne-Ouchy | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 20 | WWWDW | |
| 2 |
|
FC Winterthur | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 15 | WWDDW |
| 3 |
|
Yverdon Sport | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 15 | LWWDW |
| 4 |
|
Neuchatel Xamax FC | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 12 | WLLLL |
| 5 |
|
FC Aarau | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 11 | DWDWL |
| 6 |
|
SC Kriens | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 10 | DLDWW |
| 7 |
|
Étoile Carouge | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 9 | LDLWD |
| 8 |
|
Rapperswil | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 7 | WLDLL |
| 9 |
|
FC WIL 1900 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 6 | LDDDL |
| 10 |
|
Stade Nyonnais | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 18 | -12 | 2 | LLDLD |
Challenge League Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|
Top key passes
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
Top red cards
Challenge League teams participation since 2016
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| FC Aarau | 10 |
| FC WIL 1900 | 10 |
| FC Schaffhausen | 9 |
| FC Vaduz | 8 |
| Neuchatel Xamax FC | 8 |
| FC Winterthur | 6 |
| Stade Lausanne-Ouchy | 6 |
| FC Thun | 5 |
| FC Chiasso | 5 |
| SC Kriens | 4 |
| Bellinzona | 4 |
| Lausanne | 3 |
| Servette FC | 3 |
| Rapperswil | 3 |
| Stade Nyonnais | 3 |
| Yverdon Sport | 3 |
| Grasshoppers | 2 |
| FC Wohlen | 2 |
| Étoile Carouge | 2 |
| FC Sion | 1 |
| FC Zurich | 1 |
| FC Le Mont | 1 |
| Baden | 1 |
Challenge League top scorer teams
Challenge League About
Challenge League, currently branded the dieci Challenge League for sponsorship purposes, is Switzerland’s second-highest professional men’s football division and a league competition within the Swiss football pyramid. Organised by the Swiss Football League (SFL), it provides the principal bridge between the top-flight Super League and the Promotion League, combining established professional clubs with teams seeking promotion and emerging players developing at senior level.
Identity and role
The competition is based in Switzerland but may also include clubs from the Principality of Liechtenstein. FC Vaduz is the most prominent example: it competes within the Swiss league structure while representing Liechtenstein in domestic cup competition. This gives the Challenge League a distinctive cross-border character, even though its sporting and administrative framework is governed through Swiss football.
As the second tier, the league has a clear dual purpose. It offers clubs a demanding professional environment in which to pursue advancement to the Super League, while also serving as a proving ground for younger players and teams rebuilding after relegation. Promotion is therefore both a sporting objective and an important measure of a club’s financial, organisational and infrastructure standards.
History and governance
The competition’s recorded history reaches back to 1898, while the modern Challenge League identity dates from 2003, when it replaced the traditional name Nationalliga B. The rebranding reflected the division’s role as the final competitive step before Switzerland’s top flight. Its professional status is maintained through SFL regulations covering sporting participation, finances, administration and stadium facilities.
Clubs cannot rely solely on their final league position to secure entry or promotion. They must also satisfy the relevant SFL licensing requirements, which include financial stability, legal and administrative compliance, and suitable match infrastructure such as stadium capacity, safety provisions and lighting. The same principle applies to clubs arriving from the Promotion League: sporting success is essential, but promotion is subject to professional licensing.
Competition format
The Challenge League is played as a single-table, quadruple round-robin competition. Ten clubs contest the season, with each team facing every opponent four times: twice at home and twice away. This produces 36 matches per club and creates a long campaign in which consistency is generally more valuable than short-term form. Unlike the split structure used in the Super League, the Challenge League does not divide into separate championship or relegation groups after a first phase.
The standard points system applies throughout the league. A victory earns three points, a draw earns one point and a defeat earns none. When clubs finish level, standings are determined using the applicable ranking criteria, including goal difference, goals scored and head-to-head records. The final table therefore determines the principal promotion, play-off and relegation outcomes.
Promotion, play-off and relegation
The Challenge League champion earns automatic promotion to the Super League, provided the club holds the necessary licence. The team finishing second enters a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off against the 11th-placed Super League side. The aggregate result decides which division the clubs occupy, with extra time and penalties available in the second leg if required under the competition regulations.
At the other end of the table, the bottom-placed Challenge League club is relegated to the Promotion League, subject to the applicable licensing and competition rules. The Promotion League champion is the principal sporting entrant into the second tier, again conditional on meeting the standards required for professional participation. Clubs from Liechtenstein may take part in the Swiss system, but a Liechtenstein club cannot obtain European qualification through its Challenge League position; FC Vaduz must win the Liechtenstein Cup to access UEFA competition.
Calendar and sporting stakes
A typical season runs from late July through May and includes an extended winter break, reflecting Switzerland’s seasonal conditions. The repeated home-and-away schedule gives clubs four opportunities to influence each direct rivalry, while the spring run-in often brings decisive battles for promotion, play-off safety or survival. Every fixture can carry significance in a compact ten-team table, particularly because the difference between automatic promotion, the play-off place and mid-table security may be narrow.
For supporters, the Challenge League is more than a holding division between two better-known levels. It is a professional competition with its own identity, a route back to the Super League for relegated clubs, an opportunity for Promotion League sides to progress and a demanding platform for players seeking a higher level. Its combination of Swiss football tradition, cross-border participation, licensing standards and a rigorous 36-match format makes the Challenge League a central part of the country’s football ecosystem.