Ligue 1 Predictions

As expected, Paris Saint-Germain once again dominated the league during the 2025/26 season, comfortably securing the Ligue 1 title thanks to their elite attacking depth and consistent performances against both top and lower-table sides. Now we head into the Ligue 1 2026/27 season, with PSG yet again favourites to claim their fourth straight Ligue 1 title under Luiz Enrique. Join us as we provide our expert analysis and predictions for each gameweek of the France Ligue 1 2026/27 season.

At TopBets South Africa, we bring you expert Ligue 1 predictions to guide your betting on France’s top-flight league. Our tips cover popular markets such as 1X2, Over 2.5 Goals, Both Teams To Score, and more. Every prediction is based on detailed analyses of team form, head-to-head records, player performances, and key statistics.

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Ligue 1 2026/27 Overview

The Ligue 1 2026/27 season is upon us, kicking off on the 21st August, 2026 and concluding on 29th May, 2027. PSG are on a quest to win their sixth straight Ligue 1 title and fourth under boss Luis Enrique. Marseille kicks off the Ligue 1 season hosting Strasbourg, with PSG ending the first gameweek with a home match against Rennes.

What is Ligue 1?

Ligue 1, commonly known as Ligue 1 McDonald’s for sponsorship reasons, is the professional top-flight league in French football. The French Ligue 1 was founded in 1932 and is contested by 18 clubs, operating on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2. Each team plays a total of 34 Ligue 1 games, home and away, each from August until May to determine the French top-flight champion. 

Ligue 1 is considered one of the top five European football leagues, behind England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga. Paris Saint-Germain are the most successful team in France, with 14 Ligue 1 titles, and are also the current champions after winning the 2025/26 Ligue 1 season.

Ligue 1 Predictions and Betting Tips

We have compiled a list of our best tips for the upcoming matchday of the Ligue 1 2026/27 season below: 

How the Ligue 1 Season Works

The French Ligue 1 features 18 club teams, with each team playing every other team twice, once at their home and once at the other team’s home. Ligue 1 consists of 34 games in a round-robin tournament commencing in August and concluding in May. The league pauses for a short winter break (around two weeks) around mid-December and resumes in early January.

After regulation time (90 minutes with added time), teams in Ligue 1 earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw (tie) and 0 points for a loss. The team with the most points is crowned the French Ligue 1 champion, while the bottom two teams are relegated to Ligue 2. The third-last team (16th-placed team) plays a relegation playoff against a Ligue 2 side to determine which team earns a spot in Ligue 1. If teams tie on points, goal difference, followed by the number of goals scored, breaks the tie.

Ligue 1 Standings 2026/27 

The Ligue 1 season is up and running, with the latest standings reflecting the previous gameweek’s action. You can have a look at the latest Ligue 1 standings below:

European Qualification and Relegation Places

Since the introduction of the UEFA Europa Conference League and the expansion of the UEFA European club competitions, France is allowed to enter 7 teams in European competitions, based on its UEFA coefficient. The top three sides in League 1 automatically qualify for the UEFA Champions League league phase, with the fourth-placed team entering the third qualifying round. 

The fifth- and sixth-placed teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League league phase and UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round, respectively. The last spot is reserved for the Coupe de France winners, who directly qualify for the UEFA Europa League. However, if the cup winner already qualifies for Europe based on the league standings, the sixth-place team will qualify for the Europa League, and the seventh-placed team will qualify for the Conference League.

If France is among the top two nations that earned the most UEFA coefficient points in the previous season, an additional Champions League spot will be awarded to the fourth-placed team, with the fifth-placed team heading into the qualifying round. In this occurrence, all remaining European spots will be pushed back one position.

Ligue 1 operates with a direct relegation and playoff system with Ligue 2, the second division of French football. After the Ligue 1 season concludes, up to three teams can be relegated. The bottom two places are automatically relegated to Ligue 2 for the following season and are replaced by the Ligue 2 champions and second-placed finishers. The final relegation spot is completed in the following manner:

• The 16th-placed team enters a two-legged relegation playoff tie to fight for their survival and remain in Ligue 1 against the winner of the Ligue 2 relegation series.
• The Ligue 2 relegation series is contested by the 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-placed teams of the Ligue 2 season. 
• Each match in the relegation series is contested as a knockout match, with extra time and penalties deciding the winner in the event of a tie.
• Round 1 consists of the 4th- and 5th-placed teams playing a single match, with the winner visiting the 3rd-placed team for Round 2. 
• The survivor books their spot in a two-legged home and away tie against the 16th-placed team from Ligue 1.

Ligue 1 Games and Fixtures 2026/27 

The upcoming gameweek of Ligue 1 is upon us and is expected to excite fans. The upcoming Ligue 1 fixtures of the latest Matchday are below:

Ligue 1 Results 

After an amazing matchday of French footie action, which saw wins, defeats, jeers and cheers, we have put together our recap of the previous gameweek’s Ligue 1 results below:

FAQ

Q: Who won Ligue 1?

A: The Ligue 1 2025/26 season was won by defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

Q: Who won Ligue 1 this season?

A: The current Ligue 1 2026/27 season is underway, with the winner of this season being crowned in May 2027.

Q: How many games are in the Ligue 1 season?

A: There are a total of 306 matches played in a regular Ligue 1 season, excluding the relegation playoffs. The matches are spread across 34 gameweeks, averaging 9 matches per gameweek.

Q: How many times has PSG won Ligue 1?

A: Since their establishment in 1970, PSG have won a record 14 Ligue 1 titles.

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