Sports

Ligue 1 Top Scoring Players – Legends & Records,

Ligue 1 — France’s top football division since 1932 — is known for its deep traditions and extraordinary goal scorers. Over the decades, numerous legends have left their mark on the league, setting performance standards that remain impressive to this day.

The all-time top scorer in Ligue 1 history is Delio Onnis, the iconic forward of the 1970s–80s, who scored 299 goals in the league. His record still remains unbeaten.

Several other historic names appear in the top-10 list of the league’s most successful scorers — each of them made a significant contribution to the evolution and reputation of French football.

Modern-day stars — such as Kylian Mbappé — are still working toward reaching these legendary numbers, which shows how difficult it is to surpass the accomplishments of past football icons.

Overview

In this overview, I will cover:

• the greatest goal scorers in Ligue 1 history
• their achievements and record-breaking milestones
• how scoring trends in the French championship have evolved over time

All-Time: Top 10 Ligue 1 Goal Scorers

Below is a table featuring the ten most prolific scorers in Ligue 1 history — from the league’s foundation in 1932 to today. The table includes their total goals, main clubs, active years in Ligue 1, and average scoring rate (goals per match).

Rank	Player	Goals	Matches	Years Active	Club(s) & Key Achievements	Goals per Match
1	Delio Onnis	299	449	1971–1986	Monaco, Reims, Tours, Toulon	0.67
2	Bernard Lacombe	255	497	1969–1987	Lyon, Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne	0.51
3	Hervé Revelli	216	389	1965–1978	Saint-Étienne, Nice	0.56
4	Roger Courtois	210	288	1933–1956	Sochaux	0.73
5	Thadée Cisowski	206	286	1947–1961	Racing Paris, Metz	0.72
6	Roger Piantoni	203	394	1950–1966	Nancy, Reims	0.52
7	Joseph Ujlaki	190	438	1947–1964	Nîmes, Nice, Racing Paris	0.43
8	Fleury Di Nallo	187	425	1960–1975	Lyon (club record holder)	0.44
9	Carlos Bianchi	179	220	1973–1980	Reims, PSG	0.81
=9	Gunnar Andersson	179	234	1950–1960	Marseille (club’s all-time top scorer)	0.76

Analyzing players of this level shows one simple truth: numbers in football are more than just statistics. They help reveal form, momentum, playing style, and which striker can change the match with a single decisive moment. Many fans use this information not only out of interest but also to improve the accuracy of their predictions.

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Notes

• Bold text marks record-holding values.
• Carlos Bianchi and Gunnar Andersson share 9th place, each scoring 179 goals.
• Both Bianchi and Andersson also hold the highest scoring efficiency, with more than 0.75 goals per match.
• Delio Onnis has remained the all-time top scorer in Ligue 1 for around 45 years (since 1980).
• Bernard Lacombe is the highest-scoring French player in league history.
• Roger Courtois was the first player to reach both 100 and 200 goals in the French championship.

Profiles of the Legendary Ligue 1 Scorers (Top 10)

Delio Onnis (299 goals)

An Italian-Argentine striker widely known as the “Prince of Goals”. He remains the all-time top scorer in Ligue 1 with 299 goals in 449 matches. Onnis played for Reims, Monaco, Tours, and Toulon, with the peak of his career coming during his years at Monaco, where he scored 157 goals. He became the league’s top scorer five times — a record later matched only by Carlos Bianchi and Jean-Pierre Papin. Onnis dominated the 1970s and ultimately surpassed Hervé Revelli’s record in the early 1980s. Since then, no player has managed to break his milestone — making his legacy one of the most enduring achievements in French football history.

Bernard Lacombe (255 goals)

A French centre-forward and a true legend of Lyon and Bordeaux. Across 18 seasons, Lacombe played 497 Ligue 1 matches and scored 255 goals, becoming the second-highest scorer in league history. He began his career at his hometown club Lyon, where he scored 123 goals, before moving to Saint-Étienne and later shining at Bordeaux with 118 additional goals. Lacombe was known for consistency and longevity throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, making him the top French striker of his generation. After retiring, he also succeeded as a coach — including a spell managing Lyon during the 1990s.

Hervé Revelli (216 goals)

A French striker and one of the symbols of Saint-Étienne’s golden era. Revelli won the Ligue 1 title seven times with Saint-Étienne and scored 175 goals for the club — still their all-time record. In total, he recorded 216 league goals. In the 1975/76 season, Revelli temporarily became Ligue 1’s all-time top scorer after surpassing Roger Courtois. However, his record was later overtaken by Delio Onnis. Revelli won the league’s Golden Boot twice (1967 and 1970) and became one of the youngest members of the league’s “100-goal club.” For nearly 50 years, no player managed to reach 100 goals before turning 23, until Kylian Mbappé broke the milestone in 2021.

Roger Courtois (210 goals)

A French-Swiss striker and one of the brightest stars of the pre-war era. Courtois won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot twice (34 goals in 1935/36 and 27 in 1938/39), playing for Sochaux. He became the first player in French football history to reach both 100 and 200 goals. His final record — 210 goals in 288 matches — and his impressive scoring rate (0.73 per match) remain among the best in league history. Courtois’ career was interrupted by World War II, but he returned afterward and continued scoring at age 35. Before Onnis appeared, Courtois’ record stood for more than 20 years.

Thadée (Tadeusz) Cisowski (206 goals)

A French-Polish striker and one of the most prolific scorers of the 1950s. Cisowski won the Ligue 1 scoring title three times, playing for Racing Paris. His best campaign came in 1956/57, when he scored 33 goals — one of the strongest individual seasons in Ligue 1 history. In total, he scored 206 goals in 286 matches, averaging 0.72 goals per game. Known for a powerful strike and remarkable finishing, Cisowski’s career was cut short by injuries — he retired at just 30. Still, his record of scoring 30+ goals in two consecutive seasons remained unmatched for decades.

Roger Piantoni (203 goals)

A French forward of the 1950s and 60s, famous for his performances with Nancy and Reims. Piantoni scored 203 league goals, including 106 for the legendary Reims team of the late 1950s, where he played alongside Just Fontaine. In the 1950/51 season, he shared the Golden Boot with 27 goals while still playing for Nancy. Later, with Reims, he won three Ligue 1 titles. Piantoni had a strong left foot, excellent passing vision, and often acted as both scorer and creator. His career ended after a major injury in 1963, but he left a rich legacy — including five championships with Reims and key contributions to France’s run at the 1958 World Cup.

Joseph Ujlaki (190 goals)

A French-Hungarian striker of the post-war era. Born in Budapest, Ujlaki later moved to France, where he became one of the country’s best scorers of the 1940s and ’50s. He played for several Ligue 1 clubs, including Sète, Nîmes, Nice, and Racing Paris, collecting 190 total goals. His peak years were spent at Nice and Racing Paris, where he finished runner-up in the scoring race three seasons in a row. Recognized for excellent technique and a precise shot, Ujlaki played both as a central forward and a wide attacker. By the time he retired in 1964, Ujlaki ranked among the top three scorers in league history.

Fleury Di Nallo (187 goals)

A French forward and iconic figure of Olympique Lyonnais. Despite his small stature (164 cm), Di Nallo earned the nickname “The Little Prince of Lyon.” He scored 182 league goals for Lyon — a club record still standing today — and 187 total in Ligue 1. He led Lyon’s attack throughout the 1960s and helped the club win several league podium finishes. Although he never won a season scoring title (his best result was 2nd place), his consistency was remarkable: he scored at least 10 goals per season for 12 consecutive years. Di Nallo retired in 1975, securing his place among Ligue 1’s top scorers of all time.

Carlos Bianchi (179 goals)

An Argentine striker and one of the most efficient scorers of the 1970s. Despite playing only 7 seasons in France, Bianchi scored 179 goals — averaging an incredible 0.81 goals per match. He played for Reims and later Paris Saint-Germain, becoming a star of both clubs. Bianchi won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot five times — matching the record later shared with Onnis and Papin. His best season came in 1977/78, scoring 37 goals, earning the European Golden Boot. Interestingly, neither Reims nor PSG won the league title during his time there — yet Bianchi often carried the teams almost single-handedly. After retiring, he went on to become a successful coach in Argentina, but in France, he is remembered as one of the greatest pure scorers the league has ever seen.

Ligue 1 Records (Goals and Top Scorers)

Player	Titles Won	Seasons	Club(s)
Kylian Mbappé	6	2018/19, 2019/20*, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24	PSG
Carlos Bianchi	5	1973/74, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79	Reims, PSG
Delio Onnis	5	1974/75, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1981/82, 1983/84	Monaco, Toulon
Jean-Pierre Papin	5	1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92	Marseille
Thadée Cisowski	3	1955/56, 1956/57, 1958/59	Racing Paris
Zlatan Ibrahimović	3	2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16	PSG
Edinson Cavani	2	2016/17, 2017/18	PSG
Alexandre Lacazette	2	2014/15, 2022/23 (shared with Mbappé)	Lyon
Mamadou Niang	1	2009/10	Marseille
Just Fontaine	1	1957/58	Reims

*Note: The 2019/20 season was cut short due to COVID-19. Mbappé and Ben Yedder were officially recognised as joint top scorers.

Other Notable Records

Youngest goalscorer: Richard Krawczyk — 16 years and 105 days (Lens, 1963).
Oldest goalscorer: Benjamin Nivet — 41 years and 116 days (Troyes, 2018).
European Golden Boot recognition: Ligue 1 players who won the award include Jean-Pierre Papin twice (1989/90 and 1991/92), and Josip Skoblar (1971) and Carlos Bianchi (1978) once each. The closest recent contender was Zlatan Ibrahimović, whose 38 goals in 2016 ranked second in Europe that season.

Top Scorers by Season (History and the Last 20 Years)

Each Ligue 1 season crowns a top scorer. Below is an overview of the leading goalscorers for every era of the French championship — from the early 1930s to the present day. Special attention is given to the last two decades, a period marked by a renewed rise in scoring efficiency and attacking football.

Historical Context

In the inaugural 1932/33 season, two players shared the top-scorer title — Walter Kaiser (Rennes) and Robert Mercier (Club Français) — with 15 goals each.

During the pre-war years, reaching or surpassing 30 goals per season was relatively common (for example, Roger Courtois scored 34 goals in 1935/36).

The all-time turning point came in 1971, when Josip Skoblar set the record with 44 goals — a milestone that remains untouched.

Scoring levels later dropped: during the 1980s and early 1990s, many seasons were won with around 20 goals, and in 1986/87, the top scorer finished with only 18 goals.

The historical low arrived in 2006/07, when Pauleta (PSG) secured the Golden Boot with just 15 goals.

However, the trend reversed in the 2010s: as world-class strikers arrived and French football evolved, the Golden Boot winners once again reached 30+ goals — with stars like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Edinson Cavani, and Kylian Mbappé dominating the charts.

Season by Season

Season	Top Scorer(s)	Club	Goals
2004/05	Alexander Frei	Rennes	20
2005/06	Pauleta (Pedro Miguel)	Paris Saint-Germain	21
2006/07	Pauleta (2nd title)	Paris Saint-Germain	15
2007/08	Karim Benzema	Olympique Lyonnais	20
2008/09	André-Pierre Gignac	Toulouse	24
2009/10	Mamadou Niang	Olympique Marseille	18
2010/11	Moussa Sow	Lille	25
2011/12	Olivier Giroud / Nenê (shared)	Montpellier / PSG	21
2012/13	Zlatan Ibrahimović	Paris Saint-Germain	30
2013/14	Zlatan Ibrahimović (2nd title)	Paris Saint-Germain	26
2014/15	Alexandre Lacazette	Olympique Lyonnais	27
2015/16	Zlatan Ibrahimović (3rd title)	Paris Saint-Germain	38
2016/17	Edinson Cavani	Paris Saint-Germain	35
2017/18	Edinson Cavani (2nd title)	Paris Saint-Germain	28
2018/19	Kylian Mbappé	Paris Saint-Germain	33
2019/20*	Wissam Ben Yedder / Kylian Mbappé (shared)	Monaco / PSG	18
2020/21	Kylian Mbappé (3rd title)	Paris Saint-Germain	27
2021/22	Kylian Mbappé (4th title)	Paris Saint-Germain	28
2022/23	Kylian Mbappé (5th title) / Alexandre Lacazette (shared)	Paris Saint-Germain / Lyon	29
2023/24	Kylian Mbappé (6th consecutive title)	Paris Saint-Germain	27

*Note: The 2019/20 season was cut short due to COVID-19; Ben Yedder and Mbappé were officially recognised as joint top scorers.

As seen in the table, scoring rates have noticeably increased since around 2012 — top scorers now regularly finish seasons with 25–30 goals, whereas in the mid-2000s the best results were closer to 15–20 goals.

One of the most defining periods was the Zlatan Ibrahimović era (2012–2016) at Paris Saint-Germain. Within four seasons, he won the Golden Boot three times, including a peak campaign of 38 goals.

Following him, Kylian Mbappé has dominated the league, securing the top-scorer title six seasons in a row (2018–2024) with totals ranging from 27 to 33 goals. This clearly reflects the evolution of Ligue 1 into a more attack-oriented competition with higher-scoring football.

For comparison:

• Between 2003–2010, most Golden Boot winners finished with approximately 20–25 goals.
• During the more defensive 1990s, even 18–20 goals were often enough to secure first place.

Club Top Scorers

Club	Top Scorer	Ligue 1 Goals	Years Active	Notes
Paris Saint-Germain	Kylian Mbappé	175+	2017–present	Surpassed Cavani (138 goals)
Olympique Marseille	Gunnar Andersson	169	1950–1958	Record from the 1950s, not broken by Papin or Skoblar
AS Monaco	Delio Onnis	157	1973–1980	Club legend, record remains unreachable
Olympique Lyonnais	Fleury Di Nallo	182	1960–1974	Alexandre Lacazette (161+) is currently second
AS Saint-Étienne	Hervé Revelli	175	1965–1975	The face of the club’s golden era
Girondins de Bordeaux	Alain Giresse	158	1970–1986	Midfielder who surpassed Lacombe (118)
Lille OSC	Jean Baratte	167	1944–1953	Post-war scoring leader
Stade de Reims	Just Fontaine	122	1956–1962	Only 6 seasons; a legend of the 1950s
FC Nantes	Philippe Gondet	98	1963–1971	Club record holder and single-season record (36 in 1965/66)

Active Players Who May Enter the All-Time Rankings

Player	Most Recent Ligue 1 Club	Ligue 1 Goals	Approx. Years Active	Status (as of 2025)
Kylian Mbappé	PSG	191+	2016–present	Still active, the top scorer among current players
Alexandre Lacazette	Lyon	161	2010–2024	Left Ligue 1, finishing his career in Neom
Wissam Ben Yedder	Monaco	161	2010–present	Still playing in Ligue 1, potential candidate for the all-time top 10
Dimitri Payet	Marseille	~105	2005–2023	No longer in Ligue 1, nearing retirement
Kevin Gameiro	Strasbourg	103	2009–2023	Nearing retirement, part of the 100+ goals group
Neymar	PSG	82	2017–2023	Moved to Saudi Arabia
Jonathan David	Lille	60+	2020–present	Young, with realistic potential to reach the 100+ milestone

At the moment, Kylian Mbappé is the only active player with a realistic chance of challenging Delio Onnis’ record of 299 goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Ligue 1 Top Scorers

Q1: Who is the all-time top scorer in Ligue 1 history?

A1: The record belongs to Delio Onnis, who scored 299 goals in Ligue 1 between 1971 and 1986.

Q2: What is the highest number of goals scored in a single Ligue 1 season?

A2: The all-time single-season record belongs to Josip Skoblar, who scored 44 goals in the 1970/71 season.

Q3: Which player has won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot the most times?

A3: Kylian Mbappé holds the record with 6 Golden Boot titles.

Q4: Who is currently the top active scorer in Ligue 1?

A4: Kylian Mbappé — already over 190 goals in the league.

Q5: Which players hold the record for most goals scored for a single Ligue 1 club?

A5: Exemples include: Fleury Di Nallo (Lyon), Gunnar Andersson (Marseille), Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Alain Giresse (Bordeaux), Hervé Revelli (Saint-Étienne), Delio Onnis (Monaco).