Ligue 1 is the top soccer league in France and was founded in 1930 with another name, National, but that name was changed in the 21st century to what is known today as Ligue 1. This league is full of history and is also related to WWII since during that time the french league was suspended.
Critics say that Ligue 1 is boring and not as famous as the Premier League or La Liga in Spain. But most of the French World Cup champions played most of their careers in Ligue 1.
The first time a team won Ligue 1 was in 1933, on which occasion Olympique Lillois (Lille’s predecessor) were crowned French league champions. In the 20th century the French league was dominated by Saint-Etienne.
Ligue 1 winners by year
The champions of the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season were Lille OSC, they won their 4th title after more than a decade without winning the french league. But the championship for the 2021-2022 Ligue 1 season remained in the hands of PSG. Prior to the start of the championship, the team from the French capital was the favorite to win the title due to the fact that team has a full roster of international players like no other French team. This season, the team’s forward line was composed by Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.
Only four teams have never won Ligue 1 and just under half of the winners on the list by year are playing in other divisions of French soccer. The overall top scorer in Ligue 1 is an Argentine, Delio Onnis with a total of 299 goals.
| Club | Wins | Runner-up | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Étienne | 10 | 3 | 1956–57, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1980–81 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 10 | 9 | 1985–86, 1993–94, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021-22 |
| Marseille | 9 | 12* | 1936–37, 1947–48, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2009–10 |
| Monaco | 8 | 7 | 1960–61, 1962–63, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1987–88, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2016–17 |
| Nantes | 8 | 7 | 1964–65, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1994–95, 2000–01 |
| Lyon | 7 | 5 | 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08 |
| Bordeaux | 6 | 9 | 1949–50, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1998–99, 2008–09 |
| Reims | 6 | 3 | 1948–49, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1961–62 |
| Lille | 4 | 6 | 1945–46, 1953–54, 2010–11, 2020–21 |
| Nice | 4 | 3 | 1950–51, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59 |
| Sochaux | 2 | 3 | 1934–35, 1937–38 |
| Sète | 2 | – | 1933–34, 1938–39 |
| Lens | 1 | 4 | 1997–98 |
| RC Paris | 1 | 2 | 1935–36 |
| Olympique Lillois | 1 | 1 | 1932–33 |
| Strasbourg | 1 | 1 | 1978–79 |
| Roubaix-Tourcoing | 1 | – | 1946–47 |
| Auxerre | 1 | – | 1995–96 |
| Montpellier | 1 | – | 2011–12 |
| Nîmes | – | 4 | – |
| Cannes | – | 1 | – |
| Fives | – | 1 | – |
| Toulouse (1937) | – | 1 | – |
| Metz | – | 1 | – |
*Marseille have a strong chance of finishing Runner-up this season.
