World Cup fever swept the nation over the past few months, and now the tournament has finished the spectators’ attentions are waiting for the next big thing. After France achieved the 1st place trophy in Russia, the interest in watching Ligue 1 clubs compete has greatly increased.

Due to this curiosity when it comes to the French club teams, we thought we would put together this article to discuss all things French football. From the upcoming players to how the make-up of the French soccer leagues is, you will find this all out below.

About Ligue 1 and its Influence

Ligue 1 is the top tier league for French club teams with the Ligue 2 and Champtionnat National beneath it. Therefore, the highest scoring sides are seen in the top division compared to those of smaller lesser skilled ones.

How the transition between these three work, is that at the end of a tournament, the bottom three teams are relegated to the league beneath it and the top 3 teams from lower leagues are promoted. And when the winners of Ligue 1 are established, these then go onto the UEFA Championships. However, due to this they often find lower level teams coasting for an easier ride by being moved to a lesser league. And there are also playoffs called Coupe de France which is a separate tournament.

Entering the World Cup the French national side had a relatively young side with their youngest being the renowned Mbappe at 19 years old. This representation of youth players will have a fantastic influence on fans back in France who aspire to become professional top league players. As this choice of squad shows younger players that there is a great opportunity out there to progress through the rankings, this would increase their strive to progress in the football world.

Notable Ligue 1 Players in the French National Squad

The squad used to take on the World Cup in Russia was an excellent mixture of speed and defence, and this is what made them such a strong competitor. Below we will look into the players of the team who also currently reside with a Ligue 1 club.

Mbappe

At only 19 years old, Mbappe is a phenomenal forward striker and is most definitely one to watch in the future Ligue 1 games. Currently with Paris Saint Germain, he was loaned to them back in 2017. However, they did receive a quote of 180m Euros for a full transfer from Monaco, which makes him the most expensive teen footballer yet. During his play for PSG he scored a total of 21 goals during the 17/18 season, and since starting with Monaco B back in 2015, he has acquired a career club total of 52 goals.

When it comes to playing for his country, Mbappe has only played in the World Cup 2018 that took place in Russia. Within this tournament he had netted 8 goals and one of those were one of 4 that were conceded in the final against Croatia.

Rami

Across his career Rami has successfully assisted 16 goals and scored 25 of his own for the club teams he has previously played for. Starting off with Frejus in 2003, he has also been a member of Lille, Valencia, Milan, Sevilla and only just signed with Marseille in 2017.

He also helped his former clubs Lille and Sevilla in their process of acquiring awards such as French Champion, French Cup Winner and Europa League Winner along with the most recent World Cup Win when playing for his national side.

Sidibe

At the moment Sidibe is playing for AS Monaco as their right-back, however he has also taken on positions such as left back and right midfield which makes him a highly versatile player. Although he is a solid defender he has also produced 18 goals across his club careers with Monaco, Lille and Troyes.

Fekir

Fekir’s main strengths are that he is a great attacking midfielder as well as multi-tasking a steady and precise forward position. At the moment he is signed with Lyon and within his youth career prior to this has played for a number of French teams like Saint Priest, FC Vaulx-en-Velin, SC Caluire and AC Villeurbanne.

From starting in the Ligue 1 team Lyon in 2013, he has appeared 153 times and netted 57 goals in total. And if we look at how he performed in the World Cup 2018, he managed to score 1 goal which was against Ireland.

Thauvin

After being out on loan back to Marseille in 2016 as he appeared for Newcastle United briefly, Thauvin has scored a total of 60 goals for this French Ligue 1 team. And considering he has acquired a career total of 71 in club teams since starting out in 2010, this is rather impressive. Although, out of his 5 caps for France in the World Cup ‘18, he unfortunately failed to put his name to a score.

What Now for the Ligue 1?

With the heightened interest in the league and it’s players, the Ligue 1 will see a great increase in spectators over the coming season. This is mainly down to the influence the France national team has had during the World Cup down to its star players who are currently on the rise. And after exploring the need to know information about this top flight league, we hope that your knowledge is expanded on this popular tournament.

Don't forget that you can find us over on most social media pages where you can chat to us about this article in particular or anything soccer related! You are also able to pick up a variety of the latest and previous apparel for most of the Ligue 1 clubs to aid you on your journey of discovering the wonderful world of French soccer. Whether you are after clubs such as the recent winners - PSG or the longest playing team - Marseille we have got you covered.

This article has been written exclusively for Soccer box by Loren Astbury