Ligue 2 in the context of Division 1 (French football)

Association football is the most popular sport in France. In 2024, 53% of people in France declared an interest in football, with 26% being very interested. The French Football Federation (FFF, Fédération Française de Football) is the national governing body and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of association football in the country, both professional and amateur. The federation organizes the Coupe de France and is responsible for appointing the management of the men's, women's, and youth national football teams in France. The federation gives responsibility of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 to the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) who oversee, organize, and manage the country's top two leagues. The French Football Federation also supervises the overseas departments and territories leagues and hosts football club AS Monaco, a club based in the independent sovereign state of Monaco. In 2022, the FFF had 2.1 million licensees, 1.8 million players and 14,000 registered clubs, the second highest number of registered players in Europe after Germany.

The first football club was introduced to France in 1863 as described in a newspaper article by The Scotsman, which stated "A number of English gentlemen living in Paris have lately organised a football club... The football contests take place in the Bois de Boulogne, by permission of the authorities and surprise the French amazingly."

Ligue 1 (French: [liɡ œ̃]; lit. 'League 1'), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, Ligue 1 is contested by 18 clubs and operates on a system of promotion and relegation from and to Ligue 2. Seasons run from August to May. Clubs play two matches against each of the other teams in the league – one home and one away – totalling to 34 matches over the course of the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.

Ligue 1 was inaugurated on 11 September 1932 under the name National before switching to Division 1 after a year of existence. It continued to operate under that name until 2002, when it adopted its current name. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Marseille were a domineering team, winning four consecutive league titles from 1988–89 to 1991–92, and starred England international Chris Waddle and Ballon d'Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin. Later in the 1990s, foreign-based club Monaco featured Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet, who would both go on to be amongst the most dominant strikers in Europe.

The French football league system, also known as the French football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in France and Monaco, and includes one Spanish side. At the top two levels of the system is the Ligue de Football Professionnel, which consists of two professional national divisions, Ligue 1, Ligue 2. Below that are a number of leagues run by the Fédération Française de Football. At level 3 is the semi-professional Championnat National. Below that is the Championnat National 2 (level 4), which is divided into four parallel regional divisions, followed by the Championnat National 3 (level 5), which is divided into eleven parallel regional divisions. Underneath that are many more regional and departmental leagues and divisions. Clubs finishing the season at or near the top of their division may be eligible for promotion to a higher division. Similarly, clubs finishing at or near the bottom of their division may be relegated to a lower division.

Paul Labile Pogba (born 15 March 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Monaco.

Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Pogba joined the youth team of Ligue 2 side Le Havre in 2007. He joined Manchester United two years later. After beginning his senior career in Manchester, limited appearances caused him to join Italian club Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, where he helped the club win four consecutive Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. During his time in Italy, Pogba further established himself as one of the most promising young players in the world and received both the Golden Boy award in 2013 and by the Bravo Award in 2014. Pogba was named in the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year and in the 2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI after helping Juventus to the 2015 Champions League final, their first final in twelve years.