History of Ligue 1 in Timeline
Ligue 1 is the top professional football league in France, managed by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. Currently featuring 18 clubs, it operates on a promotion and relegation system with Ligue 2. The season spans from August to May, with each team playing 34 matches in a double round-robin format. Games are typically scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays, with occasional weekday evening matches. There's a two-week break around Christmas and New Year.
1929: The last season of amateur league
In 1929, the first division of French football was contested through an amateur league run by the USFSA.
July 1930: Professionalism was adopted in French football
In July 1930, the National Council of the French Football Federation (FFF) voted in favor of adopting professionalism in French football.
September 1932: Inauguration of Ligue 1 as National
In September 1932, Ligue 1 was inaugurated under the name National.
September 1932: Professionalism was officially implemented
On 11 September 1932, professionalism was officially implemented in French football.
1932: Foundation of Ligue 1
A total of 74 clubs have played in Ligue 1 from its foundation in the 1932-33 season to the start of the 2025-26 season.
1932: Inaugural season of National
In 1932, the inaugural season of the all-professional league, called National, was held.
1932: Teams that have taken part in Ligue 1 championships
There are 75 teams that have taken part in 88 Ligue 1 championships that were played from the 1932-33 season until the 2025-26 season.
May 1933: First final of National
On 14 May 1933, the first final was held and it matched Olympique Lillois against Cannes.
1933: Inaugural season of National
In 1933, the inaugural season of the all-professional league, called National, was held.
1934: Legitimate promotion and relegation system introduced
For the 1934-35 season, the league organised a legitimate promotion and relegation system bringing the total tally of clubs in the first division to 16.
1938: Number of clubs in first division remained at 16
The number of clubs in the first division remained at 16 until the 1938-39 season.
1939: Football suspended due to World War II
In 1939, football was suspended by the French government due to World War II.
1945: Return of professional football after the war
Following the conclusion of the war and the liberation of France in 1945, professional football returned to France.
1965: Increase in number of clubs in first division
In the 1965-66 season, the number of clubs in the first division was increased to 20.
1973: "Bonus" rule implemented
From 1973, a rule rewarded teams scoring three or more goals in a game with one extra point, regardless of outcome, with the objective of encouraging offensive play.
1974: PSG started their long run in Ligue 1
In 1974, PSG were promoted to the first division and have remained there since.
May 1976: Nantes started their unbeaten streak at home
In May 1976, Nantes began a record-breaking run of 92 matches without losing at home.
1976: "Bonus" rule removed
In 1976, the "bonus" rule that rewarded teams for scoring three or more goals was discontinued.
April 1981: Nantes ended their unbeaten streak at home
In April 1981, Nantes's record-breaking run of 92 matches without losing at home came to an end.
1984: Founding of DNCG
In 1984, the DNCG (Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion) was founded to manage Ligue 1 clubs' finances and budgets.
1988: Marseille began their title-winning streak
In 1988, Marseille started a dominant period, securing four consecutive Ligue 1 titles.
1991: Marseille's title-winning streak continued
In 1991, Marseille continued their dominant period, securing their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title.
1994: Nantes started their unbeaten streak
In 1994, Nantes began the longest consecutive unbeaten streak with 32 matches.
1995: Promotion and relegation format change
Prior to 1995, the league's format was direct relegation of the bottom two teams and a play-off between the third-last first-division team and the winner of the second-division play-offs.
2002: Increase in combined budget of Ligue 1 clubs
From the 2002-03 season to the 2005-06 season, the combined budget of Ligue 1 clubs increased by 39%.
2002: Lyon started a title-winning streak
In 2002, Lyon established a dynasty, winning 7 consecutive titles.
2002: Ligue 1 adopted its current name
In 2002, the Division 1 officially changed its name to Ligue 1.
2002: Name change to Ligue 1
In 2002, the league changed its name from Division 1 to its current name, Ligue 1.
2005: Combined budget of Ligue 1 clubs
In the 2005-06 season, the combined budget of Ligue 1 clubs was €910 million.
2006: Attacking Play Table introduced
At the start of the 2006-07 season, the league introduced an Attacking Play Table to encourage the scoring of more goals in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
2006: Ligue 1 ranks fifth in revenue brought in by clubs
For the 2006-07 season Ligue 1 ranked fifth in terms of revenue brought in by clubs.
2006: Development of L'Hexagoal Trophy
In 2006, The previous Ligue 1 trophy, L'Hexagoal, was developed by the Ligue de Football Professionnel and designed and created by Pablo Reinoso.
May 2007: Hexagoal Name Announcement
On May 20, 2007, Frédéric Thiriez of the French Football Federation announced that, following an online vote, the term Hexagoal had received half of the votes for the new trophy.
2007: Lille hosted Lyon at Stade de France
In 2007, Lille hosted Lyon at the Stade de France as a special circumstance.
2008: Lille hosted Lyon at Stade de France
In 2008, Lille hosted Lyon at the Stade de France as a special circumstance.
2008: Lyon's title-winning streak ended
In 2008, Lyon's unprecedented run of 7 consecutive Ligue 1 titles came to an end.
2008: LFP clubs accounts in the red for the third consecutive season
In 2008, the LFP clubs accounts as a whole were in the red for the third consecutive season (2008–2011).
2008: Lyon and Marseille among richest football clubs in the world
In the 2008-09 season, Lyon and Marseille were among the richest football clubs in the world.
2009: Bordeaux won the league
In 2009, Bordeaux won Ligue 1, breaking Lyon's streak.
June 2011: LFP Rights Agreements with Canal+ and BeIN Sports
On June 23, 2011, the LFP reached an agreement with BeIN Media Group for €510 million over four seasons. Following the announcement, it was revealed that Canal+ had acquired four television packages, while BeIN Sports acquired two packages.
2011: LFP clubs accounts in the red for the third consecutive season
In 2011, the LFP clubs accounts as a whole were in the red for the third consecutive season (2008–2011).
2012: LFP announces clubs deficit has been cut in half
In 2012, the LFP announced that the clubs deficit had been cut in half from €130 million to €65 million.
2015: Relegation format change decision
In 2015, a decision was made to only relegate two teams from Ligue 1 and promote two teams from Ligue 2, but it was later overturned.
2016: Return of relegation play-off
The 2016-17 season saw the return of a relegation play-off between the 16th-placed Ligue 1 team and the third-placed team in Ligue 2.
2018: Mediapro Acquires LFP Media Rights
In 2018, Mediapro acquired three of the four major packages of LFP media rights for the 2020–21 season through to the 2023–24 season, largely replacing Canal+ in a deal valued at a record €1.15 billion. BeIN Sports maintained "lot 3", which contained two matches per-week on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.
June 2020: Mediapro Partners with TF1 for Téléfoot Channel
In June 2020, Mediapro announced a partnership with TF1, under which the new channel would leverage the network's talent and resources, and be branded as Téléfoot—an extension of TF1's long-running football programme. Téléfoot presenters Grégoire Margotton and Bixente Lizarazu served as the lead broadcast team for at least 20 matches per-season.
October 2020: Mediapro Withholds Rights Payments
In October 2020, Mediapro began withholding its rights payments to the LFP due to the financial impact of COVID-19. LFP CEO Arnaud Rouger stated in October 2020 that they may have to pursue a new broadcaster if they are unable to resolve the dispute with Mediapro.
December 2020: Mediapro Prepares to Wind Down Téléfoot
In December 2020, it was reported that Mediapro were preparing to wind down Téléfoot, after it agreed to compensate the LFP for the two missed rights payments.
February 2021: Canal+ Acquires Mediapro Rights; Téléfoot Shut Down
In February 2021, Canal+ reached an interim agreement to acquire the rights packages held by Mediapro for the remainder of the season, and later sub-licensed Ligue 2 to BeIN; Téléfoot shut down on 8 February 2021.
June 2021: LFP Resells Broadcast Rights to Canal+ and Amazon Prime Video
In June 2021, the LFP resold the broadcast rights packages for Ligue 1 to Canal+ and Amazon Prime Video for the 2021–22 season through to the 2024–25 season, with the two broadcasters paying a total of €663 million in total. Canal+ held the rights to two matches per week.
June 2021: LFP voted to contract Ligue 1 back to 18 clubs
In June 2021, the LFP voted to contract Ligue 1 back to 18 clubs for the 2023-24 season.
2022: Ligue 1 relegation format changed
In 2022, four teams from Ligue 1 were relegated to Ligue 2.
2022: Relegation and promotion decisions made for 2023-24 season
In 2022, it was decided that four teams would be relegated to, and two promoted from, Ligue 2 after the 2022-23 season in preparation for contracting Ligue 1 to 18 clubs.
August 2023: Canal+ Sub-licenses Matches to DAZN
In August 2023, Canal+ announced a sub-licensing agreement with DAZN to stream its matches on a branded channel within the service as part of DAZN's local launch.
2023: Number of teams in Ligue 1 reduced
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the number of teams in Ligue 1 was reduced to 18.
2023: Champions League qualification rules
As of the 2023-24 season, the top four teams in Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions League.
2023: Ligue 1 contracts back to 18 clubs
In the 2023-24 season, Ligue 1 was contracted back to 18 clubs.
2023: Mediapro Media Rights Deal End
The Mediapro media rights deal will continue through to the 2023-24 season.
October 2024: Announcement of New Ligue 1 Trophy
On October 17, 2024, the current Ligue 1 trophy, which was created by Mathias Kiss, was announced. The yet-to-be-named trophy features a hexagonal base at the bottom and a gold-plated sphere at the top that is supported by "1"-shaped columns.
2024: Ligue 1 ranking as one of the top leagues in Europe
As of 2024, Ligue 1 is considered one of the top national leagues, ranked fifth in Europe.
2024: Canal+ Rights Renewal Plans
Canal+ did not plan to renew its rights after the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
2024: PSG wins a record thirteenth title
In the 2024–25 season, PSG won a record thirteenth Ligue 1 title.
April 2025: LFP and DAZN End Broadcast Rights Deal
In April 2025, both the LFP and DAZN came to an agreement to end the rights broadcast deal due to a legal dispute between the two parties over unpaid rights payments. L'Équipe reported that DAZN was to pay the LFP €100m to exit the agreement, as well as the remaining €140m it owed to the organisation for the final two instalments.
July 2025: LFP Announces Ligue 1+ Streaming Service
In July 2025, the LFP announced that an in-house streaming service named Ligue 1+ would be launched on 15 August, in time for the 2025–26 season. Of the nine weekly matches in Ligue 1's 18-team configuration, Ligue 1+ will exclusively broadcast eight, and BeIN will retain its allocation of one, broadcast on Saturdays.
2025: 74 clubs have played in Ligue 1
From the 1932-33 season to the start of the 2025-26 season, a total of 74 clubs have played in Ligue 1.
2025: Clubs competing in the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season
The following 18 clubs are competing in the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season.
2025: Teams that have taken part in Ligue 1 championships
There are 75 teams that have taken part in 88 Ligue 1 championships that were played from the 1932-33 season until the 2025-26 season.
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