Ligue 1

Ligue 1 (French: [liɡ œ̃]; lit. 'League 1'), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, Ligue 1 is contested by 18 clubs and operates on a system of promotion and relegation from and to Ligue 2. Seasons run from August to May. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. 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. Ligue 1 ranks fifth in the UEFA coefficient rankings as of 2025–26 based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons, behind England's Premier League, Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga and Germany's Bundesliga. PSG are the most successful club, with 14 league titles, and the current defending champions as of the 2026–27 season.