The France Ligue 1 has started but it is missing the star power of the last few seasons. First Lionel Messi and Neymar left, and now French football team captain Kylian Mbappé is moving to Real Madrid after eight years in Ligue 1.
This is the 87th season of the Ligue 1, which started on August 16. The football season in France will conclude on May 22, 2025, with 18 teams playing against each other.
Mbappe’s exit from the tournament might have a huge effect on the defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). PSG has won 10 out of the 12 league titles. Luis Enrique, the manager of PSG, will have to do a lot of homework to find the right combination to win four consecutive titles.
Lille has emerged as a strong team under Bruno Genesio, bolstered by experienced defenders and the addition of Kylian’s younger brother, Ethan Mbappé. Meanwhile, Lyon is looking more stable after a challenging previous season, making key signings to enhance their prospects. Meanwhile, clubs like Monaco and Rennes have had some key departures.
Here is a brief France Ligue 1 Preview of the 15 teams that are returning to play this season.
1. Paris Saint-Germain
Ranking Last Season: 1st
Luis Enrique, who was brought in last season on a two-year contract, has been retained as the manager by the 12-time Ligue 1 winners.
PSG will miss the services of Kylian Mbappe, their all-time top scorer. Mbappe signed a five-year deal with Real Madrid in June. The trio of midfielders, Cher Ndour, Xavi Simmons, and Renato Sanches have been loaned. Ndour has gone to Beşiktaş, while Simmons will play for RB Leipzig. Sanches has been loaned to Benfica with an option to buy.
The team’s new signings include 19-year-old striker Désiré Doué from Rennes. 22-year-old centre-back Willian Pacho arrived in the capital of France from Eintracht in Germany on a contract until 2029. He became the first Ecuadorian player to sign with PSG. Joao Neves, the Portugal midfielder, is also a new face in the team and has been signed from Benfica.
The defending champions will play Montpellier on Sunday, August 25.
2. Monaco
Ranking Last Season: 2nd
Adi Hütter, the Austrian manager had signed a two-year deal with Monaco last season and is slated to remain with the team for this season.
Monaco released midfielder Youssouf Fofana, who has signed with Italian Seria A club AC Milan. The eight-time Ligue 1 winner has also released 21-year-old midfielder Félix Lemarechal. He has joined RC Strasbourg. Myron Boadu, the Dutch forward, has been loaned to the German club VfL Bochum.
In order to strengthen the defense, Monaco has signed Jordan Teze and Christian Mawissa. Teze, the Dutch defender was released by PSV Eindhoven. Mawissa has been signed from Ligue 1 club Toulouse. Lamine Camara is another addition to the team. The Senegalese attacking midfielder played for Metz last season and has signed a five-year deal with Monaco.
Monaco will play Olympique Lyon on Saturday, August 24.
3. Brest
Ranking Last Season: 3rd
Éric Roy joined Brest last year on a two-year deal and helped the team finish in third place. This helped Brest qualify for the Champions League 2024-25 for the first time. Roy won the Manager of the Season award for this performance, and he will be back as the team manager this season.
Karamoko Dembélé, the English midfielder has been loaned to Queen Park Rangers. Josué Escartin and Taïryk Arconte were released by Brest. Escartin was signed by Red Star, while Arconte will play for Pau FC.
Romain Faivre and Ludovic Ajorque have been signed by Brest on loan. Faivre has come to the team from AFC Bournemouth, while Ajorque was acquired from Mainz 05. Jordan Amavi was signed by Brest on loan last season for the 2023-24 season from Marseille. Amavi has signed a one-year deal with Brest with an option for an extra year.
Brest will face Lens next on Sunday, August 25.
4. LOSC Lille
Ranking Last Season: 4th
This will be manager Bruno Génésio’s first season with Lille. He was previously with Olympique Lyonnais, and Les Gones that reached a Europa League semifinal.
A key exits this season is of the 18-year-old Leny Yoro. The defender played 41 games in Ligue 1 and scored three goals. He has signed a five-year contract with Manchester United. Midfield attackers Adam Ounas and Yusuf Yazici are also out this season. More exits this season include midfielder I. Miramón (loaned to Boca Juniors), forwards Alan Virginius (loaned to Young Boys), and Tiago Morais (loaned to Rio Ave).
Right back Thomas Meunier and defender Aissa Mandi have joined Lille this season to reinforce the team’s defensive options. Kylian Mbappé’s brother, Ethan Mbappé has joined as a midfielder. Striker Mohamed Bayo will return from a loan spell with Le Havre.
Lille will play Angers on Sunday, August 25.
5. Nice
Ranking Last Season: 5th
Franck Haise has been appointed the manager of Nice and he has signed a three-year deal with the team. Haise previously worked with Lens, another club in Ligue 1. Under him, Lens qualified for the Champions League 202-23.
Alexis Beka Beka, the French defensive midfielder ended his contract with Nice and became a free agent. Jean-Clair Todibo has signed with the Premier League team West Ham on a loan with an obligatory buyout clause. Aliou Balde has been loaned to VfL Bochum and will feature in the Bundesliga.
Moise Bombito, the Canadian defender has been signed along with the French defender Jonathan Clauss. Clauss has joined Nice from Olympique Marseille, while Bombito was signed from Colorado Rapids. The French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has signed a two-year deal with Nice after his contract with Tottenham was mutually terminated in June.
Nice will take on Toulouse on Sunday, August 25.
6. Lyon
Ranking Last Season: 6th
Pierre Sage was appointed the manager of Lyon until 2026 last month. Under him, Lyon qualified for the Europa League 2024.
Johann Lepenant, the French midfielder has been loaned to Nantes. Jake O’Brien, the Irish centre-back has signed with Everton on a four-year deal. Achraf Laâziri has been loaned to RWD Molenbeek, a Belgian team.
Georges Mikautadze and Mama Baldé are the two strikers who have been signed by Lyon. Mikautadze, the Georgian forward scored four goals in the recently concluded Euro 2024. He made a move to Lyon from Metz. Baldé was signed by Lyon from Troyes on a loan with a buying option last season. He played 55% of Lyon’s matches and the buying option was automatically activated. Duje Ćaleta-Car was signed on a loan from Southampton last season and signed a three-year contract this year.
Lyon will play their next match against Monaco on Saturday, August 25.
7. Lens
Ranking Last Season: 7th
Manager Will Still started his career with coaching Reims in the 2022-2023 season, and became the youngest head coach in all of Europe’s top five leagues at the age of 31. He replaces Franck Haise as manager of Lens for this season.
Still has strengthened the midfield by signing A. Diallo from Girondins, Sidi Bane from Bate Borisov, and Malang Sarr from Chelsea. They have added Hervé Koffi as the second goalkeeper option to rival Brice Samba. Meanwhile, M’bala Nzola joins the team as a striker.
Key striker Elye Wahi has shifted to Marseille, while another striker M. Guilavogui has been loaned to FC St Pauli. Midfielders Jimmy Cabot and N. El Aynaoui will be absent till September because of knee injuries.
Lens will play Brest on Sunday, August 25.
8. Marseille
Ranking Last Season: 8th
Olympique Marseille has a new manager – Italian Roberto De Zerbi, who managed Brighton & Hove Albion in the last two seasons, including the English Premier League. This is his first time coaching a French football team.
The team has bolstered its midfield with two new additions – Ismaël Koné (Canada) and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Denmark). Højbjerg was earlier with Tottenham Hotspur. Pierre-Emerick
More additions include forward Mason Greenwood, defender Lilian Brassier, and midfielders Bamo Meïté and Valentín Carboni. Notably, all these players are under the age of 25.
Aubameyang, who hit 30 goals last season, left Marseille after signing with Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. Forward F. Moumbagna will be absent till September 2024 following a knee injury. Goalkeeper Rubén Blanco also has a knee injury. Meanwhile, new additions Ismaël Koné and V. Carboni are also injured.
Marseille will play Reims on August 26th, 2024. Marseilles has won 22 matches, lost 32, and drawn 16 matches in their previous games with Reims.
9. Reims
Ranking Last Season: 9th
Luka Elsner has been appointed as the manager of Reims on a two-year basis. He will be taking over from Will Still, who has moved to RC Lens.
Amir Richardson, the Moroccan midfielder was released by Reims. He has joined Serie A club Fiorentina. The defending duo of Thomas Foket and Yunis Abdelhamid have also been released. Foket has been signed by Anderlecht, while Abdelhamid has been picked by Saint-Étienne.
Reims has signed 18-year-old midfielder Gabriel Moscardo from PSG on a loan. Cédric Kipré has been brought on a free transfer from West Bromwich. Ewen Jaouen, the French goalkeeper has been signed on loan from Reims II.
10. Rennes
Ranking Last Season: 10th
Manager Julien Stéphan has been with Rennes for five seasons. There have been some key departures this season, which will make his job more difficult. Midfielders Fabian Rieder, and Le Fée, defender Guela Doué have left, leaving a gaping hole in Rennes defense. Forward Arnaud Kalimuendo is in talks to move to Roma, while forward Martin Terrier has moved to Bayer Leverkusen.
Angel Gómez has signed with Rennes as a striker. More additions include striker H. Meister, and midfielder Jordan James from Birmingham City,
Rennes will play Strasbourg on Sunday, August 25. Renne’s last match was against Lyon, which they lost 0-3.
11. Toulouse
Ranking Last Season: 11th
Manager Carles Martínez Novell helped Toulouse earn a promotion to Ligue 1, as well as a win at Coupe de France in the 2022-2023 season.
Martinez Novell has signed Charlie Cresswell from Leeds United as a defender. Another defender Djibril Sidibé arrives with a strong experience at LOSC , Monaco, Everton, and AEK Athens.
Goalkeeper Thomas Himeur has been signed by Paris FC on a free transfer.
Defender C. Mawissa has signed with Monaco, while striker J. Flemmings has signed with Ajman.
Toulouse will play Nice on Sunday, August 25.
12. Montpellier
Ranking Last Season: 12th
Manager Michel Der Zakarian managed Montpellier between 2017 and 2021. He has a wealth of experience managing various Ligue 1 teams like Clermont, Reims, Nantes, and Brest. He returned to Montpellier in February 2023.
Montpellier has signed striker O. Maamma, and midfielder Gabriel Barès.
Midfielder Léo Leroy has switched to FC Basel in Switzerland, whereas attacking midfielder Sacha Delaye has shifted to Austria Lustenau.
The team has a string of injuries this season — defenders I. Sylla and T. Sainte-Luce (thigh injury), midfielder Khalil Fayad (thigh injury), and left midfielder Lucas Mincarelli (knee injury) will be absent till early September.
Montpellier will play PSG on Saturday, August 24.
13. Strasbourg
Ranking Last Season: 13th
Manager Liam Rosenior takes over from Patrick Vieira, who guided Strasbourg to avoid relegation with 10 points and a 13th-place finish last season. Before this, Rosenior managed Hull City from 2022-24.
This season, Strasbourg has a mix of young and experienced players. Veteran Thomas Delaine has been with the club since 2022, appearing in 47 matches with one goal and three assists. The club has added strikers Sékou Mara from Southampton, and Diego Moreira from Chelsea to strengthen their attack. Defender Caleb Wiley has arrived from Chelsea on loan.
Kévin Gameiro is a key departure this season. The 37-year-old forward scored five goals and recorded two assists last season. Three players – F. Lemaréchal, Moïse Sahi, and Miloš Luković – are injured and will miss a few games.
Strasbourg will play Rennes on Sunday, August 25. Strasbourg’s previous game against Montpellier ended in a 1-1draw.
14. Nantes
Ranking Last Season: 14th
Nantes’ manager, Antoine Kombouaré, is a veteran. He has been with the club for five seasons, and been a part of nearly 200 matches. He led his team to Coupe de France victory in 2022. He briefly left in 2023, only to be brought back to save the team from relegation.
This year, he has helped put together an impressive lineup. Johann Lepenant has left Lyon to join Nantes. The 21-year-old midfielder was a part of France’s 2024 Olympic squad, winning the silver medal. Center forward Tino Kadewere has also arrived from Lyon.
Veteran midfielder Moussa Sissoko has returned to Watford, while defender Eray Cömert’s (on-loan) contract has not been extended. Defender Fabien Centonze has a sprained knee and has been ruled out till September.
Midfielder Florent Mollet will also be absent till September because of a broken ankle.
Nantes play Auxerre on Sunday, August 25.
15. Le Havre
Ranking Last Season: 15th
This is manager Didier Digard’s first season with Le Havre. Before this, he served as Nice’s interim manager in 2023, winning 15 out of 33 matches.
Digard hasn’t added any big names this year. Instead, he has bolstered the team with talented youngsters like Ismaïl Bouneb (earlier with Valenciennes), Yanis Zouaoui (FC Martigues), and Ruben Londja (Lausanne II).
Le Havre has bid farewell to their powerful forward André Ayew. The 34-year-made 20 appearances for his team, scoring six goals. Moreover, there is another departure in their attack as Mohamed Bayo has returned to LOSC Lille. He had scored five goals for Le Havre.
Le Havre narrowly escaped relegation last season. This year they are hoping for a mid-table finish with a young team. They will play St. Etienne on Sunday, August 25.
Three other teams – Metz, Lorient, and Clermont Foot – were relegated to Ligue 2, while Auxerre, Saint-Etienne, and Angers will be seen in the 2024/25 season.
7Bet Odds
If you would like to familiarize yourself with the odds, 7bet offers various picks on the Ligue 1 matches. Note that the odds are always being updated, so make sure to check the latest odds before placing a bet.
| 1×2 | Double Chance | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | 2 | 1X | 12 | X2 | |
| 24/08/2024 | ||||||
| Paris Saint-Germain vs Montpellier | 8/25 | 5/1 | 13/2 | 1/11 | 1/8 | 2/1 |
| Lyon vs Monaco | 4/3 | 14/5 | 12/7 | 3/7 | 4/15 | 7/13 |
| 25/08/2024 | ||||||
| Saint-Etienne vs Le Havre | 1/1 | 12/5 | 11/4 | 3/11 | 3/10 | 5/7 |
| Lens vs Brest | 10/11 | 5/2 | 3/1 | 1/4 | 3/11 | 4/5 |
| Nice vs Toulouse | 11/15 | 8/3 | 15/4 | 1/5 | 1/4 | 24/25 |
| Strasbourg vs Rennes | 2/1 | 13/5 | 11/9 | 7/12 | 3/10 | 7/20 |
| 26/08/2024 | ||||||
| Marseille vs Reims | 5/9 | 13/4 | 9/2 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 11/9 |
| 31/08/2024 | ||||||
| Lyon vs Strasbourg | 13/25 | 10/3 | 19/4 | 1/7 | 1/5 | 13/10 |
| 1/09/2024 | ||||||
| Monaco vs Lens | 9/10 | 14/5 | 8/3 | 2/7 | 3/13 | 9/11 |
| Montpellier vs Nantes | 21/20 | 5/2 | 5/2 | 2/7 | 2/7 | 5/7 |
| Reims vs Rennes | 5/3 | 5/2 | 6/4 | 12/25 | 3/10 | 4/9 |
| 2/09/2024 | ||||||
| Lille vs Paris Saint-Germain | 19/10 | 5/2 | 4/3 | 5/9 | 3/10 | 3/8 |
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