France’s 15 Most Successful Clubs, Ranked (May, 2022)

ARL Football Success Ranking System

The ARL Football Success Ranking System for men’s European club football establishes for certain which clubs are the most successful of each nation and in the whole of Europe. It is a system of scoring points to clubs based on what trophies and how many have been won. Different trophies score different points and are based on a ‘glory’ criteria. Only ‘competitive football’ trophies are considered.

France and Ligue 1

As next door neighbours to the ‘Home of Football’, the game in France goes back a long way. At amateur level National Championships were contended from as far back as 1894 and then professionally in Ligue 1 since 1933, but with the usual World War breaks.

France is a curious footballing country. Its top tier league, Ligue 1, may be a level below the world’s top 4 highest quality leagues that are the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A, yet it’s certainly where top level football can be found, which makes sense given its rich footballing history and affluent fanbase.

Yet it’s teams have enjoyed such little glory abroad; they’ve only scored 14.5 international points and little prestige to go with it. Ligue 1’s subsequently low international profile is probably explained by the fact is a very egalitarian league. Ten clubs have at least five titles to their name and an impressive five clubs have reached the 100 points mark. Yet remarkably, no club has 300+ success points.

Nevertheless, a lot of memories have been made in this big footballing country and it has given a lot to European football, particularly in the form of many world class players.

Scroll down to view the France’s 15 most successful clubs

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5. Olympique Lyonnais

Points: 100

Earliest Trophy Won: Coupe de France (CdF), 1964

Latest Trophy Won: CdF and Trophee des Champions (TdC), 2012

Most Successful Manager: Paul Le Guen – 30 points (2002–2005)

An amateur club, Racing Club de Lyon, was founded in 1896 yet wouldn’t commit to professional football. So, after decades of infighting a splinter group eventually formed – Olympique Lyonnais in 1950. It got on the scoreboard with its first major trophy, a French Cup in 1964 and then won a 2nd in ‘67.

In 1987, Lyon was bought by Rhône businessman Jean-Michel Aulas who took control of the club aiming to turn Lyon into an established Ligue 1 side. He launched an ambitious plan, titled OL – Europe, designed to make Olympique Lyonnais a European household name. This plan came to be realised at the turn of the millennium; from 2001-08 Les Gones kept a vice-like grip over Ligue 1 with 7 straight Titles in a row. OL had certainly become a household name by the time it achieved a Title/Cup Double in 2008.

4. AS Monaco FC

Points: 105

Earliest Trophy Won: CdF, 1960

Latest Trophy Won: Coupe de la Ligue (CdlL), 2018

Most Successful Manager: Lucien Leduc – 37 points (1958-63 and 1976-79)

AS Monaco FC hold the distinction of being the only club to represent an entire country. It is the only club in Monaco hence why is plays in the French leagues. Monaco was founded in 1919 as an amalgamation of Monégasque sports clubs. It was invited to join the professional Ligue 2 in 1933 but got relegated back down to amateur status at the first try. It managed to break the door open again in 1948.

Manager Lucien Leduc arrived in 1958 and led Les Monégasques to their first major trophy, a French Cup at the decade’s turn. He went one step better the year after with Monaco’s first Title, then better again with a domestic ‘double’ in ‘63.

Monaco have enjoyed major trophy wins every decade since, including another Title under Leduc in ‘78 and Arsene Wenger in 1988.

3. AS Saint Etienne

Points: 129

Earliest Trophy Won: Ligue 1 and TdC, 1957

Latest Trophy Won: CdlL, 2013

Most Successful Manager: Robert Herbin – 51 points (1972-83 and 1987-90)

Another French club founded well before WW2 yet which won nothing until well after, Les Verts’ glory years centre around the 1960s and ‘70s. The ‘70s decade is its most successful decade to date winning 4 Titles, 4 French Cups and 56 out of a total 129 Success Points. It went into the 1980s to win its final Title regarded as one of France’s biggest clubs, as it still is now.

In 1982, a financial scandal involving a controversial slush fund led to the departure and eventual jailing of long-time president Roger Rocher. Saint-Étienne subsequently suffered a free-fall with the club suffering relegation in the 1983–84 season. Its only major trophy since has been a solitary League Cup in 2013.

2. Olympique de Marseille

Points: 163

Earliest Trophy Won: CdF, 1924

Latest Trophy Won: CdlL, 2012

Most Successful Manager: Gerard Gili – 23 points (1988-90, 1994 and 1995-97)

Marseille are a club tracing its history of winning big things back to the 20th Century’s first half. In the 1920s, Les Phocéens (The Phocaeans) hit the big time by winning 3 French Cups on the trot before a first league Title. By 1972, the club added its 5th Title to an ever bulging trophy cabinet as well as its first League/Cup Double.

By 1986 Bernard Tapie was elected Club President. He promptly assembled Ligue 1’s finest ever squad, packed with stars like Hoddle, Cantona, Deschamps and Desailly. From 1989, Marseille went on a barnstorming run, achieving a 2nd domestic Double then three more Titles immediately after. It was capped with the piece de resistance – a UEFA Champions League in 1993 – Marseille’s and Ligue 1’s only one to date.

Marseille’s latest success has also been a run of 3 trophy wins on the trot, this time League Cups from 2010 to 2012. Today Marseille are now France’s 2nd most successful club, pushed aside by the Paris new kids on the block.

1. Paris Saint Germain FC

Points: 215.5

Earliest Trophy Won: CdF, 1982

Latest Trophy Won: Ligue 1, 2022

Most Successful Manager: Laurent Blanc, 54 points (2013-16)

Incredibly the capital of France didn’t have a top football club until Paris Saint Germain was formed in 1970. By 1974, Ligue 1 status was secured. Les Parisiens continued from strength to strength; they won 2 Cups and a Title in the 80s; another 4 Cups and a Title came in the 90s, including beating Rapid Vienna to win a much coveted UEFA trophy – the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996.

PSG struggled to prosper in the dawn of the new century, despite more cup wins. By 2011, the club achieved what all pragmatic clubs salivate at the prospect of; they hooked in a not-poor sheikh with the arrival of new majority shareholders Qatar Sports Investments (QSI). That squad has won 8 out of 10 Titles, 6 out of 9 French Cups and 6 League Cups.

PSG’s outstanding squad of Galacticos has ensured that it largely rules the roost over French football. It’s France’s number 1 most successful club!

Competition Key	Points
SC: Domestic ‘Super Cup’ (FFF Trophee des Champions)	1
UEFA SC: UEFA Super Cup	2
FIFA CWC: Intercontinental Cup / FIFA Club World Cup	3
LC: League Cup (LdFP Coupe de la Ligue)	4
UEFA ECL: UEFA Europa Conference League (TBC)	4
NC: National Cup (FFF Coupe de France)	5
UEFA EL: UEFA Cup / Europa League	6
UEFA CWC: UEFA Cup Winners Cup	6.5
UEFA CL: UEFA European Cup / Champions League	8
T: Top Tier League Title (LdFP Ligue 1)	9

France’s 15 Most Successful Clubs

Position	Club	Points Subtotals	Success Points Total
1	Paris Saint Germain	SC: 10 x 1 = 10 LC: 9 x 4 = 36 NC: 14 x 5 = 70 UEFA CWC: 1 x 6.5 = 6.5 T: 10 x 9 = 90 +3 (Trebles)	215.5
2	Olympique de Marseille	SC: 3 x 1 = 3 LC: 3 x 4 = 12 NC: 10 x 5 =50 CL: 1 x 8 = 8 T: 10 x 9 = 90	163
3	AS Saint Etienne	SC: 5 x 1 = 5 LC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 6 x 5 = 30 T: 10 x 9 = 90	129
4	AS Monaco FC	SC: 4 x 1 = 4 LC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 5 x 5 = 25 T: 8 x 9 = 72	105
5	Olympique Lyonnaise	SC: 8 x 1 = 8 LC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 5 x 5 = 25 T: 7 x 9 = 63	100
6	FC Nantes	SC: 3 x 1 = 3 LC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 4 x 5 = 20 T: 8 x 9 = 72	99
7	FC Girondins de Bordeaux	SC: 3 x 1 = 3 LC: 3 x 4 = 12 NC: 4 x 5 = 20 T: 6 x 9 = 54	89
8	Stade de Reims	SC: 5 x 1 = 5 LC: 1 x 4 = 4 NC: 2 x 5 = 10 T : 6 x 9 = 54	73
9	CO Roubaix Tourcoing	NC: 1 x 5 = 5 T: 7 x 9 = 63	68
10	Lille OSC	SC: 1 x 1 = 1 NC: 6 x 5 = 30 T: 4 x 9 = 36	67
11	OGC Nice	SC: 1 x 1 = 1 NC: 3 x 5 = 15 T: 4 x 9 = 36	52
12	Standard Athletic Club	T: 5 x 9 = 45	45
13	RC Strasbourg Alsace	LC: 4 x 4 = 16 NC: 3 x 5 = 15 T: 1 x 9 = 9	40
14	Stade Rennais FC	SC: 1 x 1 = 1 NC: 3 x 5 = 15 T: 2 x 9 = 18	34
15	Le Havre AC	NC: 1 x 5 = 5 T: 3 x 9 = 27	32