Ligue 1 2026/27: Paris Saint-Germain bid to make it six-in-a-row | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain first, the rest nowhere. That has been the scenario in Ligue 1 for the past five seasons and looks likely to continue this term.

Since winning their third title in 2012/13, PSG have dominated the French top flight. Monaco (2016/17) and Lille (2020/21) are the only other clubs to break their streak.

With Ligue 1 clubs collectively facing financial challenges, the chances of a team other than PSG claiming top spot are slim. Read on as we preview the 2026/27 Ligue 1 season.

Ligue 1 2026/27 – Top summer transfers

The summer transfer window is scheduled to run until September 1. These are the top Ligue 1 transfers completed to date (Sunday, August 9).

Ligue 1 2026/27 – Preview

PSG’s back-to-back successes in the Champions League have masked the financial problems which are hindering French football.

The termination of a €3.25 billion contract with Mediapro after just half a season in 2020 has subsequently caused sizeable headaches for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs.

DAZN appeared to have resolved the problem when they secured the broadcast rights, but they ended their five-year deal after just one season in 2025.

Ligue 1 launched their own in-house channel at the start of last season, but this failed to deliver the desired revenue.

The 18 top-flight clubs will share just £160 million, a figure which pales into insignificance when compared to the money banked by the English Premier League from broadcast deals.

The Premier League’s domestic television contract is worth approximately £1.7 billion per season, which gives their clubs a significant competitive advantage.

The collapse in value of the domestic broadcast package has generated massive losses for numerous Ligue 1 clubs.

They are now heavily dependent on player sales or making progress in European competitions to balance the books.

PSG’s back-to-back successes in the Champions League generated more than 75 percent of their earnings from domestic competition.

That factor alone gives PSG a massive competitive advantage in Ligue 1, yet even they have not been immune to the impact of the drop in domestic revenue.

Goncalo Ramos and Lee Kang-in have both been sold this summer, while Bradley Barcola has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool.

PSG will probably make additions to their squad before the transfer window closes, but they are unlikely to be mega-money deals.

Manager Luis Enrique has expressed frustration with the club’s summer transfer business, and it will be intriguing to see if this impacts his future at the club.

The 56-year-old recently spoke about retiring before his 60th birthday, sparking rumours that this may be his final season with PSG.

Given the current landscape in Ligue 1, genuine challengers to PSG are thin on the ground. Lens pushed them hard last season, but ultimately came up short.

Aside from Lille, all of the potential challengers to PSG’s supremacy in France have been forced to sell key players this summer.

They earned €78.7m from their run to the Champions League round of 16 in 2024/25, which has given them some much-needed financial breathing space.

Having qualified for the Champions League again this season, Lille are well-placed to keep themselves in the upper echelons of Ligue 1.

The same point applies to Lens. They finished six points behind PSG last season and should mount a strong bid to secure a top three finish this season.

The €48m sale of Mamadou Sangare to Brentford has given them funds to play with in the transfer market, and they should enjoy another productive season.

Marseille, Monaco and Lyon are all expected to compete for Champions League qualification, despite each of them selling key players.

Adequately filling the gaps in their squad will be crucial to their respective hopes of finishing inside the top three this season.

Marseille and Monaco have both made some impressive acquisitions during the transfer window and still have time to add quality to their squads.

Monaco’s ability to develop and resell young talent undoubtedly improves their chances of bouncing back from a slightly underwhelming campaign.

Le Mans are the bookmakers’ favourites to be relegated. They finished second in Ligue 2 last season, but their squad lacks the necessary quality to compete in the top flight.

Troyes could be a good bet to maintain their top-flight status after romping to the second-tier title last time around.

They have utilised their position in the City Football Group network to sign Australian number one goalkeeper Patrick Beach this summer.

He has arrived in France for an undisclosed fee on a five-year deal from Melbourne City and should prove to be an extremely shrewd signing.