5 best players in Ligue 1 right now based on ratings
Ligue 1 is one of Europe's most competitive and prominent club competitions. In recent years, the French top flight has grown in stature. Last season, LOSC Lille won their fourth league title, ending Paris Saint-Germain's three-year run.
The French top flight is home to some of the biggest names in the game. That includes Neymar Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Houssem Aouar, Dimitri Payet and Lionel Messi, among others.
New talents have emerged in Ligue 1 recently
Players such as Adrian Truffert from Rennes, Bamba Dieng from Marseille and Tiago Djalo from Lille are making their presence known in the French top flight. Meanwhile, underappreciated game icons have continued to put in outstanding performances.
There is a plethora of talent ready to be a roaring success in the competition. On that note, here's a look at the top five Ligue 1 players based on ratings.
Note: Data taken from WhoScored.com (Minimum ten appearances)
#5 Lionel Messi (PSG) - 7.38
Lionel Messi is a name that doesn't need an introduction. The Argentina international is widely regarded as one of, if not the, greatest players in history.
The Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate will always be a fascinating one, but one thing is certain: Messi is a fabulous talent and one of the best to ever grace the beautiful game.
The Argentina forward has ten La Liga titles with Barcelona, a club he transformed since his debut against Espanyol in 2004. He also has four Champions League winners medals and six Copa del Rey titles in his trophy cabinet.
The only major title Messi has failed to win is the FIFA World Cup with Argentina. His best performance in the competition came in 2014, where Argentina lost in the final to Germany in extra time.
Lionel Messi back in training with the rest of the PSG team. https://t.co/l4KQCfVkVJ
Messi's talent, though, has never been in doubt; in 2012, he broke the record for most goals in a calendar year, scoring 91. He has also won the Ballon d'Or seven times, the most by any player in the award's history.
Messi is 34, but he continues to dish out top-notch performances. Last summer, he was named tournament MVP, top scorer, and assist leader in Argentina's triumphant Copa America campaign, the country's first title in nearly three decades.
Barcelona failed to renew his contract due to the La Liga's financial fair-play rules. Ligue 1 giants PSG wasted no time to bring him to Paris. However, Messi has had a slow start to life in the French top flight, scoring once and assisting five times in 11 games.
#4 Soufiane Boufal (Angers) - 7.40
Sofiane Boufal came up through the Angers youth system, and made his debut for the club when he was 18.
In the next Ligue 2 season, he made his first professional start in a 4–2 win away at FC Istres. He became a regular that season, making 31 appearances across competitions.
During the 2014-15 season, he helped Angers get promoted to Ligue 1. He scored four goals in 16 appearances in the first half of the season, attracting interest from top Ligue 1 clubs.
Boufal moved to Lille in January 2015, and made an immediate impact, scoring three goals in 14 league games. The next season, he continued to impress, scoring 12 goals in 35 appearances across competitions.
Sofiane Boufal for Angers vs. Lyon:
◉ Most duels contested (22)
◉ Most crosses (6)
◉ Most take-ons (5)
◉ Most chances created (3)
◉ Most shots on target (2)
And he’s off the mark for the season. ⚽️ https://t.co/njcmNUkSbl
Southampton signed Boufal on a five-year contract. However, he only scored one League Cup goal and one Premier League goal in the 2016–17 season.
His strike in the Saints' 1–0 win over Sunderland in the fourth round of the League Cup in October 2016 won him Southampton's Goal of the Season award. His strike against West Bromwich Albion was voted the Premier League Goal of the Season in 2017-18.
Boufal returned to Ligue 1 with his previous club Angers on a free transfer in October 2020. With five goals and four assists in 18 league games, he is in excellent form this season.