GFFN journalists’ Ligue 1 season predictions 25/26 | OneFootball

At the dawn of another Ligue 1 campaign, Get French Football News’ journalists make their predictions, picking the title winner, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League qualifiers, the relegation candidates, the Player of the Season, and the Golden Boot winner.

Who will be crowned Ligue 1 champions?

Luke Entwistle, Editor-in-Chief

It is once again impossible to look past PSG. For the past decade, they have gone into every season as the team to beat, but never have their opponents felt less helpless in their ability to do just that. They are no longer contending with just the best team in France, but the best team in the world.

Bastien Cheval, Sub-editor

The age-old question will deliver the same answer. PSG’s financial and sporting lead over their Ligue 1 rivals is all too great for an underdog to deny them domestic supremacy. The best team in Europe is, logically, the best team in France, and the next season will show just that, again.

George Boxall, Sub-editor

Whilst Marseille and Monaco have added well during the transfer window ahead of their respective Champions League campaigns, they will have to rely on a potential quadruple-winning hangover from PSG and Luis Enrique. Les Parisiens utterly dominated Ligue 1 and Europe last season, and there has been very little to suggest that the Spaniard will lose his magic touch in 2025-2026. Expect another title for PSG, but with perhaps a smaller margin this season.

Raphaël Jucobin, Sub-editor

Since Luis Enrique landed on a workable set-up after months of post-Kylian Mbappé tinkering last autumn, PSG have once again looked an unstoppable force. A fifth consecutive league title is inevitable, although fans of French football will hope that this season sees the distance from second place narrow down through challenges from Marseille, Monaco, and Lille.

Liam Wraith, Sub-editor

Whilst it would be nice to see a more competitive title race for the sake of Ligue 1, PSG look set to win their fifth successive title. Luis Enrique’s squad has only been strengthened off the back of a quadruple-winning season, which signals a warning to the rest of the division.

Nick Hartland, Sub-editor

It’s hard to see any team toppling PSG’s hegemony; the club won Ligue 1 at a canter last season, and they have the talent to do the same again this season. The only stumbling block could be how many games the club played last campaign, and how little rest they’ve had before the start of the new season.

Who will qualify for the Champions League?

LUKE – Ligue 1 is feeling increasingly stratified. PSG are, of course, at the top of the pyramid, but it feels as though gaps are emerging elsewhere. There are arguably only two sides below PSG that are unequivocally stronger than they were last season, and they just so happen to be the teams that finished second and third. Marseille finished just below PSG, with Monaco in third. I would expect the podium to look the same, albeit not necessarily in the same order. The race for the fourth spot feels very open. Strasbourg have made some good signings, and so I would have them as marginal favourites, although their participation in European football has the capacity to somewhat derail their season.

BASTIEN – A tough one to answer, this. Last season gifted us a grandstand finish with six teams all within touching distance of the Champions League on the final days. I’d back Marseille to retain second spot after an ambitious summer transfer spree. Monaco also look competitive despite their gambles in the transfer market with the arrivals of Eric Dier, Ansu Fati and, of course, Paul Pogba. I have a nagging feeling that Strasbourg will shake the old French hierarchy up, emboldened by Liam Rosenior’s infectious and energetic style.

GEORGE – Medhi Benatia and Pablo Longoria have backed Roberto De Zerbi during the summer, and that has raised expectations once again at the beginning of the season for Marseille. Whilst some in La Cité Phocéene are going overboard with claims of a title charge, the realistic expectation should be another direct qualification for the Champions League for OM. Monaco are logically next in line – depending on how their summer signings settle. Watch out for a Lille side boasting the goal-scoring capabilities of Olivier Giroud this season.

RAPHAËL – Given this summer’s considerable investment, bringing in Ligue 1 standouts and talent from abroad, Marseille have emerged as the most credible challengers to PSG and should comfortably secure a top-three spot. With their northern neighbours Lille weakened and Florian Thauvin running the show, Pierre Sage’s Lens will also be strong contenders for Champions League football. Monaco’s investments have been more of a gamble, but the Principality side have a coherent enough squad to finish near the top.

LIAM – Marseille were second best last term, and I can’t see that changing this time around. Roberto De Zerbi is now acclimatised to the French top-flight and is starting to shape his team. The race for the last two places looks tighter. Monaco have a largely settled side, and with high-profile arrivals, I expect them to qualify for Europe’s premier competition. Strasbourg are a team on the up, and if they can balance playing in Europe, I see no reason why they can’t take another step forward.

NICK – On paper, Marseille look to have strengthened significantly, and they should remain the second-best team… but the threat of implosion is never too far away. Monaco have added experience and (so far) have avoided big departures. They should challenge OM for the runners-up spot. Strasbourg are my dark horses, they could be stretched by European football, but there is so much talent in the squad that they should threaten the podium positions.

Who will qualify for the Europa League and Europa Conference League?

LUKE – I’d expect the race for at least one of these places to be very close. Lille should certainly occupy one of them, despite being considerably weakened by a swathe of high-profile departures. Behind them, I would just about back Nice, even though they too look weaker than this time last year. But I wouldn’t rule out Rennes from running them very close, at the very least. On paper, they are strong and have some brilliant academy products breaking through. They also have the benefit of not juggling European competition. My lingering doubts about Habib Beye are the only thing preventing me from placing them higher. Lyon should be there abouts, too.

BASTIEN – The battle for the last European spots will also be one for the ages, and I suspect Lyon will retain their Europa League status for the third year in a row. Despite their financial constraints, for which they have the departed John Textor to thank, Paulo Fonseca has a strong enough squad to finish near fifth place. If I were a betting man, I’d predict that Rennes would make their return on the continental stage thanks to their squad’s revamp and the addition of quality Ligue 1-proven players. Nice and Lille also look considerably weaker than they were last year.

GEORGE – Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg will be chomping at the bit to secure direct European qualification this season after spectacularly missing out on the final day of last season. Pierre Sage and Lens are an intriguing prospect – especially with the signing of Florian Thauvin. After this summer’s DNCG drama, an austerity-struck Lyon could make a late charge depending on which players they can retain between now and the end of the transfer window. I would say Europa or the Conference League are at the high-end of this season’s ambitions for Les Gones.

RAPHAËL – While the significant turnover in personnel at Strasbourg introduces a degree of uncertainty, the Alsatians do appear well-equipped to improve on last season’s seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 — especially as their now-direct rivals Nice, Lille, and Lyon have all been weakened this summer. Replacing the impacts of Andrey Santos and Habib Diarra, and integrating a new batch of Chelsea loanees, will initially be a challenge for Liam Rosenior, though. It will be difficult for Lille head coach Bruno Genesio to soften the blow of losing all of Lucas Chevalier, Bafodé Diakité, Angel Gomes, and Jonathan David (among others) this summer. Les Dogues nevertheless still have a more than serviceable Ligue 1 squad, now led by the experienced Olivier Giroud, and should be able to muster a challenge for the European spots.

LIAM – I believe the battle to qualify for European football could be as close as last season, which offers an exciting proposition. Nice adapted well to the arrival of Haise, and this should see them compete again. Lille have lost considerable firepower, but the rest of the quality in their squad should see them compete. If the Coupe de France winners are in the top six, I expect Lyon to secure the final spot.

NICK – High-profile departures and slow arrivals have left Lille weakened this summer, but they should remain part of the European conversation. A familiar issue confronts Nice, the club have talent, but they have been ravaged by injuries, it’ll take another masterclass from Franck Haise. Lyon’s new era of austerity will save the club, but it might also see them miss out on European football.

Who will be relegated?

LUKE – I think it will be a tall order for Angers to repeat last year’s feat. Their infrastructure and finances are those of a Ligue 2 side, and so they overperformed to remain in the top-flight last season. I think that Metz, if they can keep their squad together, could have just enough to at least finish in the relegation play-off spot, perhaps higher. There will be goals in that team, I believe, but the same cannot be said for Lorient, who have lost Eli Junior Kroupi. I back them to make an immediate return to Ligue 2.

BASTIEN – Last season showed that it’s not always the poorest clubs to go down, and I suspect this trend will carry on. The leap from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1 is a tough one to take, and I fear for promoted sides Metz and Lorient, whose transfer activities offer few grounds for optimism. Meanwhile, Toulouse seem to be at a dangerous crossroads after Damien Comolli’s shock departure to Juventus and their pre-season results (they shipped 13 goals against Stuttgart and Leipzig) are cause for concern.

GEORGE – Lorient losing (and not replacing) Eli Junior Kroupi means they just won’t have enough firepower up front to score the necessary amount of goals to stay up this season. The task for Metz is similar, despite some promising man-management and tactics from Stéphane Le Mignan in the second tier, lost talent and little Ligue 1 experience in reserve will make staying up a huge challenge. Once again, Nantes could be in the firing line if they do not start well under new boss Luís Castro.

RAPHAËL – While they admirably stayed up last season on a shoestring budget, Le Havre’s time in the top flight will likely come to an end this season after the departure of several key players. Of the three promoted sides, it’s Metz who look the least equipped for Ligue 1 football, especially since the departure of captain Matthieu Udol for Lens.

LIAM – It’s hard to look past the newly promoted clubs when identifying candidates for relegation. Lorient and Metz look primed to go down, given little activity in the transfer market; the same cannot be said for Paris FC. Angers performed well above expectations last season, but I expect them to flirt with relegation again this term, too.

NICK – Metz were the weakest of the promoted teams and will likely struggle to remain afloat this season. Le Havre have teetered on the edge the last few seasons, and it feels as if the drop is finally beckoning. Nantes have a really interesting manager in Luís Campos, but the Kita ownership is temperamental and the club appear to be living on borrowed time.

Who will be Player of the Season?

LUKE – There are two obvious picks in this category. Vitinha has been PSG’s most consistent player over the course of the past two years and Ousmane Dembélé is the overwhelming favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. However, I will go for a slightly outside shout and pick Marseille’s Angel Gomes. Injuries and his contract situation saw him used more sparingly by Lille last season, however, he has hit the ground running in pre-season and is a perfect fit for Roberto De Zerbi’s system. There is also the added motivation of this being a World Cup year and, having had a brief taste of international football, he will be desperate to impress Thomas Tuchel and book his place on the plane to North America next summer.

BASTIEN – Last season has been a campaign of two halves for Désiré Doué: anonymous in the first few months, absolutely brilliant in the second half of PSG’s title-winning year, which culminated with Doué bagging three goal contributions in a Champions League final during Inter’s 5-0 filletting. If Ousmane Dembélé might have hit his glass ceiling, the sky is the limit for the Rennes Academy product and I back Doué to reach new heights for his sophomore year.

GEORGE – Desiré Doué really started to get going during the latter stages of the Champions League last season, picking up the UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season and Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award. Next season, I feel Doué can make the next step if he can keep locked down his starting spot under Luis Enrique and continue a rise that has quite frankly been meteoric in recent years.

RAPHAËL – On his return to French football after spells in Mexico and Italy, Florian Thauvin has already impressed in Lens’ pre-season friendlies. As the number ten in Pierre Sage’s team, the World Cup winner will be afforded a level of creative freedom befitting of his talents for the first time in his career. It’s a role from which he could quickly re-emerge as one of the league’s standout players.

LIAM – After his transformation in a central role under Luis Enrique, Ousmane Dembélé looks on course to win the Ballon d’Or. If he carries those performances into this season, he will cement himself as the new face of Ligue 1.

NICK – The Champions League final was the moment that Désiré Doué confirmed what France already knew: he’s a phenomenon. It took him a while to settle into the team following his move from boyhood club Stade Rennais, but with a year under his belt, this season should see the 20-year-old take a huge step forward.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

LUKE – It may take a lot to beat Ousmane Dembélé, who took this accolade last season. The Frenchman is proving to be a very adept first-time finisher, and his new central positioning really lends itself to that. But I am going to back Monaco’s Mika Biereth. The Dane netted 13 goals in 16 appearances in Ligue 1 after joining the Principality club in January. He is a natural finisher, and I back him to continue in the same vein.

BASTIEN – I remember that I predicted last year that the Golden Boot would go to PSG’s main supplier of goals, and I thought that would be Gonçalo Ramos, not Ousmane Dembélé. The France international’s transition from a pacy but sometimes gawky winger to a selfless, restless and clinical centre-forward has been wondrous to see. There’s no reason for him to let up now, but competition for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot will be fierce with Marseille’s Mason Greenwood, Monaco’s Mika Biereth and Lyon’s Georges Mikautadze all likely to be in the race.

GEORGE – Olivier Giroud, anyone? In September, France’s record goal-scorer will turn 39, but the former Arsenal, Chelsea, and AC Milan man can still hit the back of the net. He doesn’t have the pace of former Lille man Jonathan David, but his positioning and his ‘knack’ for scoring goals could surprise many this season. Just take his acrobatic strike against West Ham in pre-season, for example, the Phoenix has still got it.

RAPHAËL – Whether Ousmane Dembélé can replicate his newfound goalscoring feats across multiple seasons remains to be seen. For a proven track record, though, look no further than Olivier Giroud — on his return to France after thirteen years away, the veteran looks set to thrive as the centrepiece of a Lille side that will once again challenge for the higher end of the table.

LIAM – Last year, I tipped Georges Mikautadze, and I’m inclined to do the same again. His minutes will increase with Alexandre Lacazette’s departure, and with increased responsibility in the final third, I expect him to thrive.

NICK – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returns to Marseille after a brief sojourn in Saudi Arabia with Al-Qadsiah. At 36, the striker has not yet lost his goalscoring touch, and in a Roberto De Zerbi side that looks as if it could have a lot of creativity from the wings, the former Arsenal man could be well-fed.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle