Ligue 1 is one of the top five leagues in European football and with a series of changes at champions Paris Saint-Germain coming into the new season, it could be a very intriguing campaign.

PSG are 1/4 To Win Outright but queueing up behind them are a number of contenders with strong credentials who will be looking to put them to good use come the beginning of the season in the middle of August.

What	2023/24 Ligue 1
Where	France
When	12th August 2023 - 18th May 2024
How to watch	bet365's European Soccer Live Streaming Highlights & TNT Sports
Odds	PSG 1/4, Marseille 14/1, Lens 20/1, Monaco 20/1, Lille 20/1, Lyon 25/1, Rennes 33/1, Nice 50/1

How does Ligue 1 work?

There have been a number of changes for this season in the French top flight. 

Ligue 1 clubs voted unanimously to return to an 18-team league, so four teams were relegated to Ligue 2 last season, while just two were promoted. 

Auxerre, Ajaccio, Troyes and Angers were the unfortunate teams that suffered the drop last term, while Le Havre ended a 14-year absence by returning to the top flight and Metz bounced back from Ligue 2 at the first time of asking. 

Next season, the top three teams in the division will qualify automatically for the Champions League group stages, while the fourth-placed team will make it through to the third qualifying round for that competition. 

Fifth position will qualify for the Europa League group stage, while sixth will reach the Europa Conference League play-off round. 

Last season, Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Marseille qualified for the Champions League while Rennes reached the Europa League group stage, 

Lille made it through to the Europa Conference League. 

Despite finishing 13th, Toulouse also qualified for the Europa League after winning the Coupe De France. 

Next season, the bottom two sides will be relegated automatically while the 16th-placed team will face a relegation play-off against a team from the second tier.

When does the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season begin?

The 2023-24 Ligue 1 season begins on Saturday, 12th August, 2023 and will last all the way until Saturday, 18th May, 2024.

When did Ligue 1 start?

The Amateur era of French football lasted from 1893-1929 before the National Council of the French Football Federation voted in favour of professionalism in 1930.

The first professional season was back in 1932/33 and was won by Olympique Lillois, who were founded in 1902 before merging with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC.

Due to World War II, the league was suspended from 1939-45, while there was controversy in the 1992/93 campaign when Marseille won the title with 53 points before being stripped of it due to a bribery scandal.

Paris Saint-Germain, who finished second, refused the trophy when it was offered to them, so the winner that season remains unattributed.

How many times has Ligue 1 taken place?

Ligue 1 has taken place 86 times since its formation in 1930, originally named 'National' before officially launching under its current title in 2002.

Which teams have won Ligue 1 the most?

PSG are the most successful side in Ligue 1 history in the professional era, having claimed the first of their 11 titles in 1985/86. 

They have dominated the division over the last decade, lifting the trophy in nine of the last 11 seasons.

Saint-Etienne are second with 10 titles to their name, although the last of those came in 1980/81, while Marseille are on nine and both Monaco and Nantes have seven.

Lyon hold the record for the most consecutive titles after they won seven in a row from 2001/02 to 2007/08, leaving them sixth on the all-time list of champions.

Where can I watch Ligue 1?

Ligue 1 is part of bet365's European Soccer Live Streaming Highlights while BT Sport, which is being rebranded to TNT Sports in July 2023, offers TV coverage.

Who won last year’s Ligue 1?

Paris Saint-Germain won last year’s Ligue 1 title to continue their domination in recent years, making it nine wins in the last 11 years.

PSG only took home the title by a single point over Lens as they were uncharacteristically sloppy in the league, losing seven of their 38 games. 

Lens were the only side to throw down a major challenge, however, and despite losing just four times and only conceding 29 goals, their nine draws came back to haunt them as they came up just short.

Who are the favourites to win the 2023/24 Ligue 1?

Given their dominance domestically in recent years, it’s not hard to see why Paris Saint-Germain are 1/4 chances to win the Ligue 1 title this season.

There has been a considerable amount of change behind the scenes, however, with manager Christophe Galtier departing at the end of last season and being replaced by Luis Enrique. 

Lionel Messi also parted ways with the side to leave for Inter Miami and star player Kylian Mbappe has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. 

There are plenty of challengers queueing up for a crack at the defending champions, with Marseille next in the betting at 14/1, last year's runners-up Lens are 20/1 chances to go one better this season, while Monaco and Lille are the same price.

The latter two are the two teams to have broken PSG’s dominance in recent years with Monaco winning the title in 2016/17 and Lille victorious in 2020/21.