The 2025-26 Ligue 1 season delivered memorable moments, from Vitinha's masterful performances to Lens' historic Coupe de France triumph, while Paul Pogba's return fell flat and Nice narrowly avoided relegation.
Best Player: Vitinha (PSG)
Vitinha, the 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder, was the heartbeat of PSG's campaign. "I like feeling the match go through me," he said in December, reflecting his pivotal role. He was the only PSG player to feature regularly in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League, missing only a few matches in April due to a heel injury. With Marquinhos rested for European duties, Vitinha often wore the captain's armband in the second half. Equally adept at weaving through crowded midfields or orchestrating play from deep, he thrived as a defensive midfielder—a retraining that proved Luis Enrique's most impactful change before Ousmane Dembélé's shift to centre-forward. Vitinha's individual brilliance allowed the collective to shine.
Best Manager: Pierre Sage (Lens)
Pierre Sage rose from an interim manager battling relegation at Lyon to the most sought-after French coach. After saving Lyon and securing European football, he was dismissed midway through the following season, then hired by Lens last summer. In his first season, Lens posed the most credible title challenge to PSG in years, ultimately winning the Coupe de France for the first time in 120 years. Sage's high-pressing, counter-attacking system, fueled by Florian Thauvin's creativity, made Lens devastating. His likely departure to Crystal Palace would be a major setback.
Best Young Player: Afonso Moreira (Lyon)
Signed for €2m from Sporting CP's reserve side, Moreira exceeded all expectations. After Malick Fofana's injury, the Portuguese winger seized his chance, finishing with 19 goal contributions (8 goals, 11 assists) in 37 appearances. Coach Paulo Fonseca used his performances to challenge Endrick: "We rely on a player from Portugal's third division a year ago. If Afonso has that courage, others must follow." Moreira's defensive work and relentless running made him a modern forward with a bright future.
Best Signing: Florian Thauvin (Lens)
Returning to France after four years, Thauvin was Lens' leading man in their historic season. The 33-year-old World Cup winner scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists, earning Ligue 1 Player of the Month three times. He shone brightest in the Coupe de France run, with a goal and assist in every match from the quarter-finals. Thauvin's performances earned him a France call-up in March, though he missed the World Cup cut. "It's one of the most beautiful stories of my career," he said.
Biggest Shock: Nice's Near Miss
Nice's season started with a Champions League qualifier and ended in a relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne, which they survived by a whisker. Poor transfer dealings linked to Ineos' waning interest, fan attacks on the team bus in November, and manager Franck Haise's departure led to a dramatic decline. Claude Puel returned after five years but failed to turn things around. Fans invaded the pitch on the final day, leading to a ban from the playoff. "Catastrophic," senior figures called the season.
Best Goal: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG vs Lille)
Dembélé's chip against Lille in January confirmed his form. Receiving the ball on the edge of the box, he jinked back twice, creating space, then spotted goalkeeper Berke Ozer off his line and looped the ball over him. Luis Enrique called it a "PlayStation goal." Folarin Balogun's chip for Monaco was also notable but less improvised.
Best Save: Hervé Koffi (Angers vs Nice)
Koffi, on loan from Lens, made the most saves in Ligue 1, had the highest prevented goals, save percentage, and 10 clean sheets. His finest save came against Nice in March, when he denied Jonathan Clauss's curling free-kick destined for the top corner. Despite his exceptional season, unseating Robin Risser at Lens seems unlikely, but Koffi has attracted interest.
Biggest Flop: Paul Pogba (Monaco)
Pogba's return to football after an 18-month doping ban and injury struggles was underwhelming. He did not play until late November and made only one start in May, totalling 115 minutes with no goals or assists. Monaco qualified only for the Europa Conference League, and Pogba failed to reach the France squad. The "win-win" deal CEO Thiago Scuro described has felt like a lose-lose.
Best Match: PSG 5-0 Marseille
In February, PSG handed Marseille their heaviest defeat in the Classique history. Ousmane Dembélé scored a first-half double and provided an assist, sparking his late-season resurgence. The result showed PSG's devastating potential when focused on Ligue 1, while Marseille plunged into crisis after their Champions League exit.
Biggest Flashpoint: Clashes in Nice
After a defeat at Lorient in November, Nice players were attacked by fans at their training ground. Jérémie Boga and Terem Moffi were put on sick leave and later left on loan. Franck Haise said some fans came "in balaclavas with petanque balls." The incident led to the departures of two players, the president, and eventually the manager.
Departures of the Season: Rabiot and Rowe
A dressing room bust-up between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe after Marseille's opening-day defeat led to both players leaving for Serie A. The fight, described as "extremely violent" by the president, unravelled Marseille's season. They changed manager, sporting director, and president, losing 11 league games. Consecutive late wins secured an unlikely Europa League spot.
Team of the Season
4-3-3: Robin Risser; Nuno Mendes, Malang Sarr, Willian Pacho, Achraf Hakimi; Adrien Thomasson, Vitinha, Mamadou Sangaré; Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Esteban Lepaul, Florian Thauvin. Bench: Hervé Koffi, Matthieu Udol, Charlie Cresswell, Moussa Niakhaté, Saud Abdulhamid, Corentin Tolisso, Warren Zaire-Emery, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joaquín Panichelli.
This article is by Get French Football News.
