The 3️⃣ key men behind Paris's Ligue 1 title ⭐️ | OneFootball

The main architects of the title.

On Wednesday night, PSG secured their 14th French league title at the end of a peculiar season, one in which their stars were mostly busy shining in the Champions League.

So, who were the three main architects of Paris’s Ligue 1 title?

Warren Zaïre-Emery

Struggling last season and relegated to the bench, the academy product managed to get himself back on track in quite spectacular fashion. Taking advantage of injuries here and there after a grueling year, Zaïre-Emery was flawless all season long, whether in midfield or at right-back.

PSG’s most-used player this season with 2,396 minutes played, the capital’s prodigy has gone up another level and also showed his ability to string together high-level performances. He now seems to be an undroppable starter in Luis Enrique’s mind.

📸 Alex Grimm - 2026 Getty Images

Matveï Safonov

While many predicted another season on the bench for him, he too knew how to seize his chance when it came. Taking advantage of Lucas Chevalier’s poor form as he struggled to adjust after his move to PSG, the Russian was immense all season long.

Whether through reflex saves, often unconventional though they were, or remarkable success on penalties, the goalkeeper was heroic throughout the year. He capped off an outstanding campaign with another XXL performance against Lens in the title-clinching match.

📸 Justin Setterfield - 2026 Getty Images

Vitinha

The true brain of Luis Enrique’s PSG, the midfielder delivered another commanding season in the middle of the park. Rarely rested by his coach, unlike other stars with more fragile fitness, the Portuguese once again delighted all season with his accuracy and football intelligence.

Add to that 7 assists and the fact that he played almost every match from start to finish, and you have one of the main architects of PSG’s title triumph. With him, PSG can sleep easy for many years to come.

📸 SIMON WOHLFAHRT - AFP or licensors

Special mention - Luis Enrique

After a grueling 2024-25 season, the Parisian coach delivered an absolutely perfect campaign in terms of managing playing time and physical condition.

With many stars, especially in attack, hampered for a long time by physical issues, the Spanish manager knew how to empower his supporting players to keep the Paris machine running during the first months of the season. Coaching that paid off in Ligue 1... and in the Champions League.

📸 Alex Grimm - 2026 Getty Images

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

📸 SIMON WOHLFAHRT - AFP or licensors