List of French football champions
Founded1893–94
CountryFrance (17 teams)
Monaco (1 team)
ConfederationUEFA
Number of clubs18
Current championsParis Saint-Germain
(13th title)
(2024–25)
Most championshipsParis Saint-Germain
(13 titles)
Current: 2025–26 Ligue 1

The French football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in France, Ligue 1. Since the National Council of the French Football Federation voted in support of professionalism in French football in 1930, the professional football championship of France has been contested through Ligue 1, formerly known as Division 1 from 1933 to 2002.[1][2]

Prior to this, the first division championship of French football was contested through a league run by the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA), an organization that supported amateur sport. The USFSA's league run from 1894 to 1919 and awarded 22 league titles before being suspended in 1915 due to World War I and the creation and success of the Coupe de France, which had quickly become the country's national competition.

[3] The USFSA returned in 1919 changing the league into numerous regional amateur leagues that awarded no league title. This system lasted from 1919 to 1926. In 1926, the first division's reins were handed over to the French Football Federation. The federation organized and ran a league composed of the regional amateur league champions called the Championnat de France amateur from 1927 to 1929 and awarded three titles before the league was converted to the professional league that exists today in 1932.[1]

The first champions of French football were Standard Athletic Club, who defeated The White Rovers 2–0 in Courbevoie on 6 May 1894.[4] The initial championship match was held on 29 April but finished 2–2, so the match was replayed.[4] Standard went on to win the French championship four more times over the next seven years before RC Roubaix took control of the league becoming the first French club to win three straight titles beginning in 1902.[5] Following Roubaix's success, the ownership of the amateur league title began rotating back and forth from the north of France to the south of France with Marseille eventually winning the last amateur title in 1929.[5]

The first French football champions of the professional era were Olympique Lillois, a predecessor of Lille, who defeated Cannes 4–3 on 14 May 1933 at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes.[5] Sète were crowned champions the following season and, in 1939, became the first professional club in France to win two titles.[5] Following the conclusion of World War II, Saint-Étienne became the model club of the country winning four consecutive titles from 1966 to 1970.[5] The club won all its 10 titles in a span of 25 years. Marseille repeated Saint-Étienne's feat of four consecutive titles from 1988 to 1992. It would take the club another 17 years to win another title. During the hiatus between Marseille's title in 1992 and the club's most recent in 2010, Lyon established themselves as a top club winning their first title in 2002. The title started a national record-breaking streak of seven successive league championships with the streak coming to an end following the 2008–09 season when Bordeaux eclipsed them winning their sixth title.[6][7]

Paris Saint-Germain have the most titles in French football, with 13, followed by Saint-Étienne and Marseille, with 10 each.[8][9] The majority of Saint-Étienne's titles came during the 1960s and 1970s when the club was led by managers Jean Snella, Albert Batteux, and Robert Herbin. Marseille has nine professional league titles and one amateur title which they won in the 1928–29 season.[9] The club initially equalled Saint-Étienne's number of titles won during the 1992–93 season, but the title was stripped after it was discovered by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) that the club's president Bernard Tapie had bribed the opposition's players.[10][11] Tapie was later found guilty of bribery and sentenced to two years in prison.[12] In the 2009–10 season, Marseille equalled Saint-Étienne's number of titles, amateur or professional.[13][14] Paris Saint-Germain won 11 of their 13 titles in a thirteen-year span from 2013 to 2025. Nantes and Monaco are fourth with eight titles each, while Lyon has seven.[15][16][17]

List of champions

0†0 Winning team also won Coupe de France in the same season, winning a domestic Double.
§ Winning team also won Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue in the same season, winning a domestic Treble
# Winning team also won UEFA Champions League and Coupe de France in the same season, winning a continental Treble.
Ed. Season Winners[4] Runners-up Third place
Amateur era (1893–1929)
1 1893–94 Standard Athletic Club (1) The White Rovers N/A
2 1894–95 Standard Athletic Club (2) The White Rovers N/A
3 1895–96 Club Français (1) The White Rovers N/A
4 1896–97 Standard Athletic Club (3) The White Rovers N/A
5 1897–98 Standard Athletic Club (4) Club Français N/A
6 1898–99 Le Havre (1) Club Français N/A
7 1899–1900 Le Havre (2) Club Français N/A
8 1900–01 Standard Athletic Club (5) Le Havre N/A
9 1901–02 Roubaix (1) RC Paris N/A
10 1902–03 Roubaix (2) RC Paris N/A
11 1903–04 Roubaix (3) Suisse Paris N/A
12 1904–05 Gallia Club Paris (1) Roubaix N/A
13 1905–06 Roubaix (4) CA Paris N/A
14 1906–07 RC Paris (1) Roubaix N/A
15 1907–08 Roubaix (5) RC Paris N/A
16 1908–09 Stade Helvétique (1) CA Paris N/A
17 1909–10 US Tourcoing (1) Stade Helvétique N/A
18 1910–11 Stade Helvétique (2) RC Paris N/A
19 1911–12 Saint-Raphaël (1) AS Française N/A
20 1912–13 Stade Helvétique (3) Rouen N/A
21 1913–14 Olympique Lillois (1) Sète N/A
– 1914–18 Suspended due to World War I
22 1918–19 Le Havre (3) Marseille N/A
– 1919–26 Not Played
23 1926–27 CA Paris (1) Amiens AC Marseille
24 1927–28 Stade Français (1)[nb 1] US Tourcoing N/A
25 1928–29 Marseille (1)[nb 2] Club Français N/A
– 1929–32 Not Played
Professional era (1932–present)[2][21][22]
26 1932–33 Olympique Lillois (2) Cannes RC Paris
27 1933–34 Sète (1) Fives Marseille
28 1934–35 Sochaux (1) Strasbourg RC Paris
29 1935–36 RC Paris (2) Olympique Lillois Strasbourg
30 1936–37 Marseille (2) Sochaux RC Paris
31 1937–38 Sochaux (2) Marseille Sète
32 1938–39 Sète (2) Marseille RC Paris
– 1939–45 Suspended due to World War II
33 1945–46 Lille (1) Saint-Étienne CO Roubaix-Tourcoing
34 1946–47 Roubaix–Tourcoing (1) Reims Strasbourg
35 1947–48 Marseille (3) Lille Reims
36 1948–49 Reims (1) Lille Marseille
37 1949–50 Bordeaux (1) Lille Reims
38 1950–51 Nice (1) Lille Le Havre
39 1951–52 Nice (2) Bordeaux Lille
40 1952–53 Reims (2) Sochaux Bordeaux
41 1953–54 Lille (2) Reims Bordeaux
42 1954–55 Reims (3) Toulouse (1937) Lens
43 1955–56 Nice (3) Lens Monaco
44 1956–57 Saint-Étienne (1) Lens Reims
45 1957–58 Reims (4) Nîmes Monaco
46 1958–59 Nice (4) Nîmes RC Paris
47 1959–60 Reims (5) Nîmes RC Paris
48 1960–61 Monaco (1) RC Paris Reims
49 1961–62 Reims (6) RC Paris Nîmes
50 1962–63 Monaco (2) Reims Sedan
51 1963–64 Saint-Étienne (2) Monaco RC Lens
52 1964–65 Nantes (1) Bordeaux Valenciennes
53 1965–66 Nantes (2) Bordeaux Valenciennes
54 1966–67 Saint-Étienne (3) Nantes Angers
55 1967–68 Saint-Étienne (4) Nice Sochaux
56 1968–69 Saint-Étienne (5) Bordeaux Metz
57 1969–70 Saint-Étienne (6) Marseille RC Paris-Sedan
58 1970–71 Marseille (4) Saint-Étienne Nantes
59 1971–72 Marseille (5) Nîmes Sochaux
60 1972–73 Nantes (3) Nice Marseille
61 1973–74 Saint-Étienne (7) Nantes Lyon
62 1974–75 Saint-Étienne (8) Marseille Lyon
63 1975–76 Saint-Étienne (9) Nice Sochaux
64 1976–77 Nantes (4) Lens Bastia
65 1977–78 Monaco (3) Nantes Strasbourg
66 1978–79 Strasbourg Nantes Saint-Étienne
67 1979–80 Nantes (5) Sochaux Saint-Étienne
68 1980–81 Saint-Étienne (10) Nantes Bordeaux
69 1981–82 Monaco (4) Saint-Étienne Sochaux
70 1982–83 Nantes (6) Bordeaux Paris Saint-Germain
71 1983–84 Bordeaux (2) Monaco Auxerre
72 1984–85 Bordeaux (3) Nantes Monaco
73 1985–86 Paris Saint-Germain (1) Nantes Bordeaux
74 1986–87 Bordeaux (4) Marseille Toulouse
75 1987–88 Monaco (5) Bordeaux Montpellier
76 1988–89 Marseille (6) Paris Saint-Germain Monaco
77 1989–90 Marseille (7) Bordeaux Monaco
78 1990–91 Marseille (8) Monaco Auxerre
79 1991–92 Marseille (9) Monaco Paris Saint-Germain
80 1992–93 — [nb 3] Paris Saint-Germain Monaco
81 1993–94 Paris Saint-Germain (2) Marseille Auxerre
82 1994–95 Nantes (7) Lyon Paris Saint-Germain
83 1995–96 Auxerre (1) Paris Saint-Germain Monaco
84 1996–97 Monaco (6) Paris Saint-Germain Nantes
85 1997–98 Lens (1) Metz Monaco
86 1998–99 Bordeaux (5) Marseille Lyon
87 1999–2000 Monaco (7) Paris Saint-Germain Lyon
88 2000–01 Nantes (8) Lyon Lille
89 2001–02 Lyon (1) Lens Auxerre
90 2002–03 Lyon (2) Monaco Marseille
91 2003–04 Lyon (3) Paris Saint-Germain Monaco
92 2004–05 Lyon (4) Lille Monaco
93 2005–06 Lyon (5) Bordeaux Lille
94 2006–07 Lyon (6) Marseille Toulouse
95 2007–08 Lyon (7) Bordeaux Marseille
96 2008–09 Bordeaux (6) Marseille Lyon
97 2009–10 Marseille (10) Lyon Auxerre
98 2010–11 Lille (3) Marseille Lyon
99 2011–12 Montpellier (1) Paris Saint-Germain Lille
100 2012–13 Paris Saint-Germain (3) Marseille Lyon
101 2013–14 Paris Saint-Germain (4) Monaco Lille
102 2014–15 Paris Saint-Germain (5) Lyon Monaco
103 2015–16 Paris Saint-Germain (6) Lyon Monaco
104 2016–17 Monaco (8) Paris Saint-Germain Nice
105 2017–18 Paris Saint-Germain (7) Monaco Lyon
106 2018–19 Paris Saint-Germain (8) Lille Lyon
107 2019–20 Paris Saint-Germain (9)[nb 4] Marseille Rennes
108 2020–21 Lille (4) Paris Saint-Germain Monaco
109 2021–22 Paris Saint-Germain (10) Marseille Monaco
110 2022–23 Paris Saint-Germain (11) Lens Marseille
111 2023–24 Paris Saint-Germain (12) Monaco Brest
112 2024–25 Paris Saint-Germain (13) Marseille Monaco

Performance

Performance by club in amateur era and professional era

Rank Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons Runner-up seasons
1 Paris Saint-Germain FC 13 9 1985–86, 1993–94, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 1988–89, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2020–21
2 Marseille 10 15 1928–29, 1936–37, 1947–48, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2009–10 1918–19, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1969–70, 1974–75, 1986–87, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2024–25
AS Saint-Étienne 10 3 1956–57, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1980–81 1945–46, 1970–71, 1981–82
4 AS Monaco 8 8 1960–61, 1962–63, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1987–88, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2016–17 1963–64, 1983–84, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2002–03, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2023–24
FC Nantes 8 7 1964–65, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1994–95, 2000–01 1966–67, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1985–86
6 Olympique Lyonnais 7 5 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08 1994–95, 2000–01, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2015–16
7 FC Girondins de Bordeaux 6 9 1949–50, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1998–99, 2008–09 1951–52, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1982–83, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2005–06, 2007–08
Lille OSC 6 7 1913–14, 1932–33, 1945–46, 1953–54, 2010–11, 2020–21 1935–36, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 2004–05, 2018–19
Stade de Reims 6 3 1948–49, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1961–62 1946–47, 1953–54, 1962–63
11 Standard Athletic Club 5 — 1893–94, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1900–01
RC Roubaix 5 2 1901–02, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1905–06, 1907–08 1904–05, 1906–07
12 Nice 4 3 1950–51, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59 1967–68, 1972–73, 1975–76
13 Stade Helvétique 3 1 1908–09, 1910–11, 1912–13 1909–10
Le Havre 3 1 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1918–19 1900–01
15 RC Paris 2 6 1906–07, 1935–36 1901–02, 1902–03, 1907–08, 1910–11, 1960–61, 1961–62
Sochaux 2 3 1934–35, 1937–38 1936–37, 1952–53, 1979–80
Sète 2 1 1933–34, 1938–39 1913–14
18 Lens 1 5 1997–98 1955–56, 1956–57, 1976–77, 2001–02, 2022–23
Club Français 1 4 1895–96 1897–98, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1928–29
Paris-Charenton 1 2 1926–27 1905–06, 1908–09
US Tourcoing 1 1 1909–10 1927–28
Rouen 1 1 1944–45 1912–13
Strasbourg 1 1 1978–79 1934–35
Gallia Club Paris 1 — 1904–05
Saint-Raphaël 1 — 1911–12
Stade Français 1 — 1927–28
Auxerre 1 — 1995–96
Montpellier 1 — 2011–12
Roubaix TC 1 1946–47
N/A The White Rovers – 4 1893–94, 1894–95, 1895–96, 1896–97
Nîmes – 4 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1971–72
Suisse Paris – 1 1903–04
AS Française – 1 1911–12
Amiens – 1 1926–27
Cannes – 1 1932–33
Fives – 1 1933–34
Toulouse (1937) – 1 1954–55
Metz – 1 1997–98

Notes:

Performance by club in professional era

Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons
Paris Saint-Germain 13 9 1985–86, 1993–94, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Saint-Étienne 10 3 1956–57, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1980–81
Marseille 9 14 1936–37, 1947–48, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2009–10
Monaco 8 8 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 5 7 1932–33, 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 5 1997–98
RC Paris 1 2 1935–36
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 –

Notes:

Performance by club in amateur era

Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons
Roubaix 5 2 1901–02, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1905–06, 1907–08
Standard Athletic Club 5 – 1893–94, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1900–01
Stade Helvétique 3 1 1908–09, 1910–11, 1912–13
Le Havre 3 1 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1918–19
Club Français 1 4 1895–96
RC Paris 1 4 1906–07
CA Paris 1 2 1926–27
US Tourcoing 1 1 1909–10
Marseille 1 1 1928–29
Gallia Club Paris 1 – 1904–05
Saint-Raphaël 1 – 1911–12
Olympique Lillois 1 – 1913–14
Stade Français 1 – 1927–28
The White Rovers – 4 –
Suisse Paris – 1 –
AS Française – 1 –
Rouen – 1 –
Sète – 1 –
Amiens – 1 –

Notes:

Notes

  1. For the 1927–28 and 1928–29 seasons, the French Football Federation eliminated the league table format used in the previous season and used a playoff system. No third-place match was held.[5][18][19][20]
  2. For the 1927–28 and 1928–29 seasons, the French Football Federation eliminated the league table format used in the previous season and used a playoff system. No third-place match was held.[5][18][19][20]
  3. Marseille were stripped of their title by the LFP after being found guilty of bribery. No winner was declared for that season.[10][11]
  4. 2019–20 Ligue 1 suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France; season curtailed and final standings (including PSG as champions) declared by a points-per-game ratio on 30 April 2020.[23][24]

References

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  3. "French find recipe for success". Union of European Football Associations. 21 February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010.
  4. Pauron, Frédéric (24 April 2004). "France 1892–1919". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023.
  5. Pauron, Frédéric (21 May 2010). "France – List of Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 25 July 2017.
  6. "Lyon, France's enduring champions". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009.
  7. Lyttleton, Ben (1 June 2009). "Bordeaux claim Ligue 1 title to justify faith in Laurent Blanc". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018.
  8. "Palmarès". AS Saint-Étienne. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012.
  9. "L'OM... et le Championnat" (in French). Olympique de Marseille. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010.
  10. Baring, Louise (2 August 1992). "Un homme d'affaires: Bernard Tapie". The Independent. Independent News and Media. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012.
  11. Bidwell, Nick (13 July 1993). "Scandal leaves a stain on the white shirt of Marseille". The Independent. Independent News and Media. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022.
  12. Halpin, Padraic (8 January 2006). "Match fixing: a history". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023.
  13. "Marseille 3–1 Stade Rennes". ESPNsoccernet. ESPN. 5 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011.
  14. "L'OM champion de France !". Ligue 1 (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 5 May 2010. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010.
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  17. "Le palmarès par compétitions" (in French). Olympique Lyonnais. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011.
  18. "Division d' Excellence: Saison 26-27". Pages Perso Orange.
  19. "Division d' Excellence: Saison 27-28". Pages Perso Orange.
  20. "Division d' Excellence: Saison 28-29". Pages Perso Orange.
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  23. "PSG champions as season ended". Ligue 1. 30 April 2020. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020.
  24. "Ligue 1: Paris St-Germain awarded French title as season finished early". BBC Sport. 30 April 2020. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020.