Our 5️⃣ key men of the Ligue 1 season | OneFootball

A rock-solid top five! 

The Ligue 1 season officially came to an end this Sunday evening, after one final crazy multiplex. 

It was a season full of suspense, especially in the title race and the battle for Europe, with several players standing out to help their clubs finish as high as possible.

At the UNFP awards, five players were also in the running for the best player trophy: Dembélé, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Thauvin and Greenwood. But we’ve decided to reveal our five standout men of the season! 

Ousmane Dembélé - PSG

The Ballon d’Or contender, whose medical situation is causing concern two weeks before the Champions League final, was once again named the best player of the Ligue 1 season. The trophy rewards his influence at PSG, champions once again, thanks to his attacking contribution (10 goals and 7 assists in 22 matches), his defensive work, and his ability to lead by example in every aspect of the game. Quite simply, the leader of the best team in the league.  

📸 Alex Grimm - 2026 Getty Images

Florian Thauvin - RC Lens

While Risser, Sage, Sangaré and others were brilliant, it’s hard to believe Lens, PSG’s runners-up, would have had such a great season without Thauvin. Back in Ligue 1, the former Marseille man showed that at 33 he has lost none of his attacking quality, something reflected both in his numbers (11 goals and 6 assists) and in the way he carries the ball. 

He will once again be the man to watch in Friday’s Coupe de France final, and Lens’s main weapon in the Champions League next season. 

📸 SAMEER AL-DOUMY - AFP or licensors

Estéban Lepaul - Rennes

The top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals (and 5 assists), Lepaul was the driving force behind a Rennes side that went through a rollercoaster season, especially when Habib Beye was still in charge. 

Signed for €13.5 million from Angers last summer after a promising first Ligue 1 season (9 goals), Lepaul has more than lived up to all expectations, becoming the first non-PSG player to finish as top scorer since Lacazette in 2014-15. Those performances already make him one of the best strikers in the country, and he is now knocking on the door of the national team. 

📸 GABRIEL BOUYS - AFP or licensors

Corentin Tolisso - Lyon

The boss at OL. Despite the disappointment of missing out on third place because of the thrashing handed out by Lens on Sunday (4-0), Lyon still finished in an excellent 4th place, synonymous with European football, something that seemed almost unthinkable just a few months ago given the financial troubles and the threat of relegation. And they owe that partly to smart recruitment, but above all to a great Tolisso. 

With 11 goals and 4 assists in 30 matches, the France international, once again left out by Deschamps for the upcoming World Cup, showed enormous influence and leadership to carry OL. At 31, he proved he is still one of the best players in Ligue 1.

📸 OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE - AFP or licensors

Vitinha - PSG

This top five isn’t packed with PSG players, but it’s hard not to include a second one. Vitinha in particular, who once again shone in Paris’s midfield this season. And while many of his teammates were regularly rested or injured, he was one of the few players, along with Zaïre-Emery and Pacho, to keep delivering on both fronts, making him a true pillar of the team.

Teased by Dembélé at the UNFP awards for scoring "just one goal," the Portuguese midfielder also provided seven assists, with impressive energy levels, establishing himself as the orchestrator of PSG’s play and one of its leaders, with another league title to show for it.

📸 SIMON WOHLFAHRT - AFP or licensors

What about you, do you agree with this top five or did other players stand out more to you? Choices had to be made, so tell us in the comments who you would have picked ⬇️​

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 LOIC VENANCE - AFP or licensors