In Ligue 1, yes, Ligue 1 does have relegation—teams drop. As of the 2025-26 season, the system involves automatic relegation for the worst-ranked team, plus a playoff for survival for the second-worst. Below, SantaKick will take you through exactly how relegation works in Ligue 1, its recent changes, and what rules are in place this campaign.
What is Ligue 1 and how many teams play
Ligue 1 is France’s top football division, run by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP). Since the 2023-24 season, Ligue 1 has 18 clubs. This was a change.
The reduction from 20 to 18 teams made relegation stakes higher: fewer margin of error, more intense competition at the bottom end of the table.
How relegation works now
Here’s how relegation/promotion works currently:
- 18th place in Ligue 1 → automatically relegated to Ligue 2. ll.knowledgeskey.com)
- 17th place → enters a two-legged playoff (home and away) vs a challenger from Ligue 2 (a team that earned the right via promotion playoffs). The winner of that tie earns or keeps the Ligue 1 spot.
- 16th place and above → safe (no automatic drop or playoff).
Meanwhile, on the Ligue 2 side, the top 2 teams are promoted automatically to Ligue 1; another team(s) go through promotion playoffs to possibly reach Ligue 1.
History and recent changes to relegation in Ligue 1
To understand today’s system, let’s glance at what’s changed recently:
- Prior to 2023-24, Ligue 1 had 20 teams.
- In the 2022-23 season, four teams were relegated and only two promoted in order to shrink the league to 18 teams.
- With the 18-team format, the relegation and playoff system was re-calibrated. Now there are fewer automatic relegation spots, and relegation playoffs were formalized (the “barrages”).
Why the relegation and playoff system matters
Relegation isn’t just about being at the bottom—it shapes finances, prestige, player transfers, fan morale. For clubs in Ligue 1, missing safety by even one spot (17th instead of 16th) means either relegation or facing playoffs, which brings uncertainty. For Ligue 2 clubs, the ramp to promotion is boosted by the playoff route—giving more clubs a shot.
This system keeps the league competitive throughout: there are still battles at both ends of the table even late in the season. Teams not only fight for the title or European places, but also desperately to avoid the drop. The playoff tie (Ligue 1 17th vs Ligue 2 challenger) becomes dramatic and can swing on fine margins. Recent seasons have shown this clearly.
Special cases and administrative relegation
While performance-based relegation is the norm, there are special cases:
- Financial misconduct or failure to meet regulatory requirements (for example from France’s financial watchdog bodies) can force relegation or block clubs.
- Appeals sometimes overturn relegation due to off-field issues. For instance, there have been clubs in recent seasons that fought appeals against relegation imposed for financial mismanagement.
These are exceptions, but real ones, which add another layer of uncertainty for some clubs.
What to watch in the 2025-26 season
For fans, players, and analysts, here are key things to watch this season in terms of relegation:
- Which club ends up in 18th place—direct relegation means no second chance.
- The battle for 17th place, since the playoff can save or doom a club depending on form and opponent.
- The strength of Ligue 2 clubs in the promotion playoff, since that determines who faces the 17th in Ligue 1.
- Off-field financial stability: some clubs may avoid relegation or gain reprieve or suffer drop due to financial audits or sanctions.
- Early vs late season form: with fewer safety spots, a poor start can make survival much harder.
Conclusion
Does Ligue 1 have relegation? Absolutely — in fact, Ligue 1 does have relegation, and under the current 18-team format:
- The bottom team (18th) is automatically relegated.
- The 17th-placed club must play a two-legged playoff against a top-performing Ligue 2 team for the chance to stay up.
- The two (or more) top Ligue 2 sides can move up either directly or, SantaKick can also track current relegation predictions or preview which Ligue 1 clubs are most likely to go down this season—would you like that?
