The French League or Ligue 1 is one of the best football competitions worldwide as the league offers matches from the best players in football. This makes the league highly competitive and exciting.
Even though PSG has dominated the competition in recent seasons, the Parisians do not hold the most Ligue 1 titles. The Paris team won seven of the league's past 10 editions, and they seem to triumph their way for the 10th league title.
Football in France
Ligue 1 has been France's top division for football since 2002, which was formerly known as Division 1. The original league was inaugurated in 1932 and became legal as professionalism in French football two years later.
Football was relatively popular late on the other side of the English Channel. Before that, cycling was a prime sport in France. During the 1890s, football started to gain popularity in Paris, spreading to other regions. Even though only Parisian teams participated, the first national competition was arranged in 1894, decades before professional football was introduced.
The season's first professional league kicked off in 1932, which included 20 teams, which is the same number of teams in the French league today.
Since 2007, the winner has received the "Hexagonal" trophy designed by Pablo Reinoso. This replaced the old trophy that d'Andree Putman designed.
The 20 clubs played against each other in home and away games, which resulted in 38 matches for every team during a season. The 1994 – 95 seasons introduced the three-point reward for a win and only one point for draws. The most points received during a season were Paris Saint-Germain, which was 96 points during the 2015-2016 season.
Besides Ligue 1, France Ligue 2 is also a popular championship in France, which serves as the second division for French football. The second league was founded a year after creating the first in 1933 and was named Division two. As the league is part of the LFP, it allows teams on edge to become the next superstar in French football. There are also 20 clubs in League 2, where the season starts from May to August. Every club plays the other twice, once within their home and once at their opponent for 38 matches.
Top 5 Teams in the France League
Before the times of PSG, other teams have dominated French football. Let's look at the top five teams who have won the most Ligue 1 titles.
AS Monaco – 8 Titles
The AS Monaco was formed in late 1924 and is an important part of French football. The club based in Monaco has dominated the Ligue 1 champions on eight occasions. Five times, the Red and Whites have also won the Coupe de France trophies.
The club has also scored some highlights in the past 6 years as they've won the league title in 2016-2017, which ends PSG's four-year streak. This is considered their first big triumph in the French League in 17 years.
AS Monaco won the Ligue 1 titles during every decade from the 1960s to the 1990s and finished as runners-up on seven occasions.
Nantes FC – 8 Titles
The Nantes Fc is one of the most successful clubs in French football history, which formed in 1943. The Canaries have won the French League eight times and finished as runners-up on seven occasions and had other successes in multiple leagues across a few decades.
Nantes won several French Leagues during the 1960s and won the championship twice in the 1970s and 1980s. Their last success in the French league came in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, their last big win. Nantes has also earned three Coupe de France crowns and a single Coupe de la Ligue title.
Paris Saint-Germain – 9 Titles
Paris Saint-Germain has been the top team playing in French football in recent years with nine Ligue 1 titles. The Parisians have also finished as runners-up on the same number of occasions. Besides the French championship, PSG has also earned 14 Coupe de France titles and nine Coupe de La Ligue titles.
Paris Saint Germain's first two triumphs in the French League dates back to the 1985-86 and the 1993-94 seasons. The team then earned their next week 12 years later, which marked their start of consecutive wins, where they've won seven championship titles in 10 years. This includes their winning streak from 2012 to 2016.
Olympique de Marseille – 9 Titles
Formed in the late 1800s, Olympique de Marseille is considered one of the oldest clubs in France football. Therefore, they have a huge history in the Ligue 1 and France football in general and are considered one of the most successful teams.
The club's prime days were during the 1970s and 1980s, where they've won multiple league and cup titles during these decades. Besides that, the Olympian team has won 10 Coupes de France and three Coupe de la Ligue titles.
As Saint Etienne – 10 Titles
Also known as ASSE, Saint Etienne is the most successful club to date in the French League, with a total of 10 league wins. The club has also won Coupe de France crowns six times, one Coupe de la Ligue and five Trophée des Champions leagues. However, they haven't made any wins in recent years, as their last league triumph was back in the 1980-81 season.
Saint Etienne achieved their highest success during the 1960 and 1970 era with a number of domestic titles also won during those decades.
