French Ligue 1 is the top professional football league in France. It was founded in 1932 and has undergone several changes in its format over the years. Here are some history, facts, and information about the league:
History
- The league was founded in 1932 under the name National before it was renamed Division 1 in 2002 and Ligue 1 in 2003.
- The first-ever Ligue 1 match was played on August 11, 1932, between Olympique Marseille and FC Metz. Marseille won the match 9-4.
- Since its formation, there have been 20 different clubs that have won the Ligue 1 title.
- The current Ligue 1 trophy, known as the Trophy of Champions, was first introduced in 1995. Before that, the league champions were awarded the Hexagoal trophy.
League System
- Ligue 1 operates on a promotion-relegation system with Ligue 2, the second tier of French football.
- There are 20 teams in Ligue 1, and they play each other twice, once at home and once away.
- The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned the Ligue 1 champion. The bottom two teams are automatically relegated to Ligue 2, while the 18th-placed team enters a playoff with the third-placed team from Ligue 2.
Audience
- Ligue 1 is the fifth-most-watched football league in the world, with an estimated global audience of 900 million viewers.
- The average attendance at Ligue 1 matches is around 22,000 spectators per game, making it the second-highest attended league in Europe after the English Premier League.
States
- Ligue 1 is governed by the French Football League (LFP), which also oversees Ligue 2 and the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France cup competitions.
- The LFP is responsible for organizing the league fixtures, scheduling, and rules, as well as handling disciplinary issues and disputes.
Players
- Many world-class players have played in Ligue 1, including Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Thierry Henry, Kylian Mbappé, and Neymar.
- The current all-time leading scorer in Ligue 1 is Delio Onnis, who scored 299 goals during his career.
- The current highest-paid player in Ligue 1 is Lionel Messi, who joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 on a contract worth €35 million per year.
