Ligue 1 was established in 1932 under the name National and became a fully professional league the following year. It was later renamed Division 1 in 1933 and retained that title until 2002, when it was rebranded as Ligue 1. The creation of the league marked the beginning of organized professional football in France, where clubs could compete under a unified competition format.
Despite its relatively late professionalization compared to leagues like England’s Football League or Italy’s Serie A, French football quickly grew in stature. Initially, the league consisted of 20 teams, a structure that has remained largely unchanged except for brief periods when the league was reduced to 18 teams.
The early years of Ligue 1 were characterized by the dominance of teams like Olympique de Marseille, Stade de Reims, and AS Saint-Étienne. Stade de Reims was one of the most successful teams in the 1950s, playing a major role in European football, reaching the final of the European Cup (now the Champions League) twice during that decade.
Saint-Étienne emerged as a football powerhouse in the 1960s and 1970s, winning numerous league titles and becoming a symbol of French football’s domestic dominance. AS Monaco and Olympique Lyonnais would also emerge as prominent clubs, contributing to the competitive nature of the league.
The landscape of Ligue 1 changed dramatically with the rise of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Established in 1970, PSG has grown into one of the biggest football clubs in the world, especially after its acquisition by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011. With vast financial resources at their disposal, PSG began to dominate French football, winning multiple Ligue 1 titles and establishing themselves as a force in European competitions.
The club’s star-studded line-up, which had featured players like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi, had elevated Ligue 1's profile globally. While PSG’s dominance has been a point of contention for some critics, it has undeniably brought significant international attention to the league.
Ligue 1 consists of 20 teams that compete in a traditional round-robin format. Each team plays 38 matches per season, facing every other team twice (once at home and once away). The season typically runs from August to May, with a short winter break in December and January.
At the end of the season, the team with the highest number of points is crowned the Ligue 1 champion. Points are awarded in a standard format: three points for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a loss. In the event of a tie in points, goal difference and then goals scored are used to determine the final rankings.
The bottom two teams are automatically relegated to Ligue 2, while the third-bottom team enters a relegation play-off against the third-placed team from Ligue 2 to decide who will play in Ligue 1 the following season.
Champions League: The top three teams qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The first two teams enter directly into the group stage, while the third-placed team enters the qualification rounds.
Europa League: The fourth-placed team earns a spot in the UEFA Europa League, and an additional Europa League spot is awarded to the winner of the Coupe de France (French Cup).
Europa Conference League: The fifth-placed team in Ligue 1 can qualify for the newly established UEFA Europa Conference League, providing a further European incentive for mid-table teams.
Source Information: https://gerrymarshall.co.uk/ligue-1-a-comprehensive-insight-into-frances-premier-football-league/