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France Ligue 1
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France Ligue 1

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Matches Fixtures Results Table Top Lists
DateRHome v Away-
11/06 12:00 14 [4] Lorient v PSG [1] 1-2
11/05 20:00 14 [20] Angers v Lens [2] 1-2
11/05 16:00 14 [19] AC Ajaccio v Strasbourg [17] 4-2
11/04 20:00 14 [12] Troyes v Auxerre [16] 1-1
10/30 19:45 13 [9] Lyon v Lille [7] 1-0
10/30 16:05 13 [3] Lorient v Nice [12] 1-2
10/30 14:00 13 [4] Rennes v Montpellier [13] 3-0
10/30 14:00 13 [17] Brest v Reims [14] 0-0
10/30 14:00 13 [15] Nantes v Clermont Foot [9] 1-1
10/30 14:00 13 [7] Monaco v Angers [20] 2-0
10/30 12:00 13 [18] Auxerre v AC Ajaccio [19] 1-0
10/29 19:00 13 [16] Strasbourg v Marseille [5] 2-2
10/29 15:00 13 [1] PSG v Troyes [11] 4-3
10/28 19:00 13 [2] Lens v Toulouse [10] 3-0
10/23 18:45 12 [7] Lille v Monaco [6] 4-3
10/23 15:05 12 [13] Nice v Nantes [14] 1-1
10/23 13:00 12 [12] Troyes v Lorient [3] 2-2
10/23 13:00 12 [10] Toulouse v Strasbourg [17] 2-2
10/23 13:00 12 [15] Reims v Auxerre [16] 2-1
10/23 13:00 12 [9] Clermont Foot v Brest [20] 1-3
10/23 11:00 12 [19] Angers v Rennes [5] 1-2
10/22 19:00 12 [4] Marseille v Lens [3] 0-1
10/22 15:00 12 [11] Montpellier v Lyon [10] 1-2
10/21 19:00 12 [18] AC Ajaccio v PSG [1] 0-3
10/16 18:45 11 [1] PSG v Marseille [4] 1-0
10/16 15:05 11 [5] Monaco v Clermont Foot [8] 1-1
10/16 13:00 11 [12] Troyes v AC Ajaccio [18] 1-1
10/16 13:00 11 [7] Rennes v Lyon [9] 3-2
10/16 13:00 11 [19] Nantes v Brest [20] 4-1
10/16 13:00 11 [16] Auxerre v Nice [13] 1-1
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Wikipedia - Ligue 1

Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's for sponsorship purposes, is the top-level association football league in France located at the top of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, Ligue 1 is contested by 18 clubs (as of the 2023–24 season) and operates on a system of promotion and relegation from and to Ligue 2.

Seasons run from August to May. Clubs play two matches against each of the other teams in the league – one home and one away – totalling to 34 matches over the course of the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January. As of 2024, Ligue 1 is considered one of the top national leagues, ranked fifth in Europe, behind England's Premier League, Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A and Germany's Bundesliga.

Ligue 1 was inaugurated on 11 September 1932 under the name National before switching to Division 1 after a year of existence. It continued to operate under that name until 2002, when it adopted its current name. Paris Saint-Germain are the most successful club with twelve league titles, while Lyon is the club that has won the most consecutive titles (seven between 2002 and 2008). Saint-Étienne was the first club with ten titles. With the presence of 73 seasons in Ligue 1, Marseille holds the record for most seasons among the elite, while Paris Saint-Germain hold the league record for longevity with 50 consecutive seasons (from 1974 to present). Nantes is the team with the longest consecutive unbeaten streak (32 matches) and the fewest number of defeats (one match) in a single season, doing so in the 1994–95 campaign. In addition, Nantes also holds the record for the longest time without losing at home with a run of 92 matches from May 1976 to April 1981.

The current champions are Paris Saint-Germain, who won a record twelfth title in the 2023–24 season. The league has been won on multiple occasions by foreign-based club Monaco, the presence of which within the league makes it a cross-border competition.

Ahead of the 2023–24 season, the number of teams in the league was reduced to 18; four teams in the 2022–23 Ligue 1 were relegated to Ligue 2 and only two teams in Ligue 2 were promoted to Ligue 1.

History

Foundation

Professionalism in French football did not exist until July 1930, when the National Council of the French Football Federation voted 128–20 in favour of its adoption. The founders of professionalism in French football are Georges Bayrou, Emmanuel Gambardella, and Gabriel Hanot. Professionalism was officially implemented in 1932.

In order to successfully create a professional football league in the country, the Federation limited the league to twenty clubs. In order to participate in the competition, clubs were subjected to three important criteria:

  • The incoming club must have had positive results in the past.
  • The incoming club must be able to pull in enough revenue to balance its finances.
  • The incoming club must be able to successfully recruit at least eight professional players.

Many clubs disagreed with the subjective criteria, most notably Strasbourg, RC Roubaix, Amiens and Stade Français, while others like Rennes, due to fear of bankruptcy, and Lille, due to a conflict of interest, were reluctant to become professional. Lille's president, Henri Jooris, also chairman of the Ligue du Nord, feared his league would fold and proposed it become the second division of the new league. Eventually, many clubs earned professional status, though it became more difficult to convince clubs in the northern half of the country; Strasbourg, Roubaix and Amiens refused to accept the new league, while conversely Mulhouse, Excelsior AC Roubaix, Metz and Fives accepted professionalism. In southern France, clubs such as Marseille, Hyères, Montpellier, Nîmes, Cannes, Antibes and Nice were extremely supportive of the new league and accepted their professional status without argument.

Establishment

Division 1 champions (Pre-WWII)
Season Winner
1932–33 Olympique Lillois
1933–34 Sète
1934–35 Sochaux
1935–36 Racing Club de France
1936–37 Marseille
1937–38 Sochaux
1938–39 Sète

The league's inaugural season of the all-professional league, called National, was held in 1932–1933. The 20 inaugural members of National were Antibes, CA Paris, Cannes, Club Français, Excelsior AC Roubaix, Fives, Hyères, Marseille, Metz, Mulhouse, Nice, Nîmes, Alès, Lille, Racing Club de France, Red Star Olympique, Rennes, Sochaux, Sète and Montpellier. The 20 clubs were inserted into two groups of 10 with the bottom three of each group suffering relegation to Division 2. The two winners of each group would then face each other in a final held at a neutral venue, which later turned out to the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir. The first final was held on 14 May 1933 and it matched the winner of Group A, Olympique Lillois, against the runner-up of Group B, Cannes. Antibes, the winner of Group B, was supposed to take part in the final but was suspected of bribery by the French Football Federation and was disqualified. In the first final, Lillois were crowned the inaugural champions following the club's 4–3 victory. After the season, the league decided to retain the 14 clubs and not promote any sides from the second division. The league also agreed to change its name from National to simply Division 1. For the 1934–35 season, the league organised a legitimate promotion and relegation system bringing the total tally of clubs in the first division to 16. The number remained until the 1938–39 season.

Because of World War II, football was suspended by the French government and the Ligue de Football Professionnel, although its member clubs continued playing in regional competitions. During the "war championships", as they are called, professionalism was abolished by the Vichy regime and clubs were forced to participate in regional leagues, designated as Zone Sud and Zone Nord. Due to its non-association with the two leagues, the LFP and FFF do not recognise the championships won by the clubs and thus 1939–1945 is non-existent in the two organisations' view. Following the conclusion of the war and the liberation of France, professional football returned to France. The first division increased its allotment of clubs to 18. This number remained until the 1965–66 season when the number was increased to 20. In 2002, the league changed its name from Division 1 to Ligue 1.

France Ligue 1 is the premier professional soccer league in France, showcasing the highest level of football talent in the country. Established in 1932, it has a rich history and is widely regarded as one of the top leagues in European football.

The tournament features 20 teams competing against each other in a round-robin format, with each team playing 38 matches throughout the season. The league follows a promotion and relegation system, where the bottom three teams are relegated to the second division, while the top three teams from the second division are promoted to Ligue 1.

Renowned for its fast-paced and technically skilled style of play, Ligue 1 attracts some of the best players from around the world. The league has been home to legendary players such as Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, and Michel Platini, who have left an indelible mark on the sport.

The tournament is known for its fierce rivalries, with matches between traditional powerhouses like Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Olympique de Marseille, and AS Saint-Étienne often generating intense excitement and passionate support from fans. PSG, in particular, has dominated the league in recent years, winning multiple titles and assembling a star-studded squad that includes global superstars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

France Ligue 1 also serves as a talent factory, nurturing young players and providing them with a platform to showcase their skills. Many promising French talents have emerged from the league, including Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, and N'Golo Kanté, who have gone on to achieve success both domestically and internationally.

The tournament is played in various iconic stadiums across France, each with its own unique atmosphere and history. From the passionate chants of the Parc des Princes in Paris to the electric atmosphere of the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, Ligue 1 matches offer an unforgettable experience for both players and spectators.

With its rich footballing heritage, exciting matches, and world-class talent, France Ligue 1 continues to captivate football fans around the globe, cementing its status as one of the most prestigious and competitive soccer leagues in the world.