Ligue 1, France’s top-tier football league, was founded in 1932 as "National." A year later, it was renamed Division 1 and kept this name until 2002 when it became Ligue 1. The league was paused during World War II because much of France was occupied by Germany then.
Ligue 1 currently features 18 teams. In the early years, like in the 1933-1934 season, there were as few as 14 teams. From 2002 to 2023, 20 teams competed each season.
The first-ever Ligue 1 champions were Olympique Lillois, who won the 1932-1933 season. Saint-Étienne dominated the league in the 1970s and 80s, while Olympique de Marseille was the leading team in the 1990s. Olympique Lyonnais won seven consecutive titles in the 2000s.
The format of Ligue 1 is similar to that of other top European football leagues. Each team plays against the others twice, once at home and once away, totaling 34 matches per team per season. The league runs from August to May. At the end of the season, the bottom two teams are relegated to Ligue 2, while the top two teams from Ligue 2 are promoted to Ligue 1. The 16th-placed team in Ligue 1 and the 3rd-placed team in Ligue 2 play in two relegation play-off matches, with the winner securing a spot in Ligue 1 for the next season.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) hold the record for the most Ligue 1 titles, with 12 championships to their name. They won their first title in 1985-1986 and their second in 1993-1994.
However, it wasn’t until Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011 that PSG became a dominant force, winning 10 more titles since the 2012-2013 season. Saint-Étienne have won 10 titles, while Marseille have claimed 9. Notably, Marseille won the title in the 1992-1993 season but were stripped off it due to a bribery scandal. PSG, who finished second, refused to accept the title, so no winner was declared for that season.
Monaco and Nantes have each won eight titles. LOSC Lille and OGC Nice have won four titles each. Olympique Lyonnais have won seven titles, while FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Stade de Reims have won six each. FC Sète 34 and FC Sochaux-Montbéliard have won two titles each. Other single-time champions include Montpellier HSC, RC Lens, AJ Auxerre, RC Strasbourg Alsace, Racing Club Paris, and Olympique Lillois.
Ligue 1 winners list
Year | Team |
2023–2024 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2022-2023 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2021–2022 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2020-2021 | Lille |
2019-2020 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2018-2019 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2017-2018 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2016-2017 | Monaco |
2015-2016 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2014-2015 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2013-2014 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2012-2013 | Paris Saint-Germain |
2011-2012 | Montpellier |
2010-2011 | Lille |
2009-2010 | Marseille |
2008-2009 | Bordeaux |
2007-2008 | Lyon |
2006-2007 | Lyon |
2005-2006 | Lyon |
2004-2005 | Lyon |
2003-2004 | Lyon |
2002-2003 | Lyon |
2001-2002 | Lyon |
2000-2001 | Nantes |
1999-2000 | Monaco |
1998-1999 | Bordeaux |
1997-1998 | Lens |
1996-1997 | Monaco |
1995-1996 | Auxerre |
1994-1995 | Nantes |
1993-1994 | Paris Saint-Germain |
1992-1993 | Not Awarded |
1991-1992 | Marseille |
1990-1991 | Marseille |
1989-1990 | Marseille |
1988-1989 | Marseille |
1987-1988 | Monaco |
1986-1987 | Bordeaux |
1985-1986 | Paris Saint-Germain |
1984-1985 | Bordeaux |
1983-1984 | Bordeaux |
1982-1983 | Nantes |
1981-1982 | Monaco |
1980-1981 | Saint-Etienne |
1979-1980 | Nantes |
1978-1979 | Strasbourg |
1977-1978 | Monaco |
1976-1977 | Nantes |
1975-1976 | Saint-Etienne |
1974-1975 | Saint-Etienne |
1973-1974 | Saint-Etienne |
1972-1973 | Nantes |
1971-1972 | Marseille |
1970-1971 | Marseille |
1969-1970 | Saint-Etienne |
1968-1969 | Saint-Etienne |
1967-1968 | Saint-Etienne |
1966-1967 | Saint-Etienne |
1965-1966 | Nantes |
1964-1965 | Nantes |
1963-1964 | Saint-Etienne |
1962-1963 | Monaco |
1961-1962 | Reims |
1960-1961 | Monaco |
1959-1960 | Reims |
1958-1959 | Nice |
1957-1958 | Reims |
1956-1957 | Saint-Etienne |
1955-1956 | Nice |
1954-1955 | Reims |
1953-1954 | Lille |
1952-1953 | Reims |
1951-1952 | Nice |
1950-1951 | Nice |
1949-1950 | Bordeaux |
1948-1949 | Reims |
1947-1948 | Marseille |
1946-1947 | Roubaix-Tourc |
1945-1946 | Lille |
1939-1945 | Canceled due to Second World War |
1938-1939 | Sete |
1937-1938 | Sochaux |
1936-1937 | Marseille |
1935-1936 | RCFF |
1934-1935 | Sochaux |
1933-1934 | Sete |
1932-1933 | Olympique Lillois |
