Which nations hold the highest presence in Ligue 1 this season and what are the latest updates? The countries in question are Senegal, Indonesia, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.
In the 2025–26 Ligue 1 season, the French top-tier football league continues to showcase its global appeal, welcoming players from a record-breaking 69 nationalities. This vibrant mix of talent is evident as several clubs introduce new faces to the league, while others bid farewell to long-standing foreign players.
One of the most notable changes can be seen at Ol Lyon, who have become the first club in the Czech Republic to field players in Ligue 1 with the arrivals of Pavel Sulc and Adam Karabec. Meanwhile, RC Lens has made history by becoming the first club to have a Saudi Arabian player, Saud Abdulhamid, in their ranks.
Algeria, a country that once boasted 18 players in Ligue 1, has seen a significant decline to just 11, with Saïd Benrahma, Ismaël Bennacer, and Badredine Bouanani among those to have left to play abroad. This trend is mirrored in Ivory Coast, which was the most represented nation last season with 31 players, but now has only 19 following the departures of Evann Guessand, Wilfried Singo, Yahia Fofana, Emmanuel Agbadou, and others.
Lorient, on the other hand, has strengthened its squad with the addition of Dermane Karim, the first Togolese player in Ligue 1, and Panos Katseris, the first Greek player. Le Havre, too, has made a splash with the signing of Ally Samatta, the league's first Tanzanian player, and Ayumu Seko, the only new Japanese player this season.
Strasbourg has welcomed Julio Enciso, marking the Paraguayan's arrival as the first Paraguayan player in Ligue 1. LOSC has also made history by signing Calvin Verdonk, the first Indonesian player in the league. Lens has further expanded its multicultural roster with the addition of Andrija Bulatovic, the first Montenegrin player.
Senegal continues to be a force in Ligue 1, with 28 players representing the nation, nearly 10% of all foreign players. Metz and Lorient have 9 and 4 Lions of the Teranga (Senegalese players) in their ranks, respectively.
However, not all countries are as well-represented this season. The Japanese contingent in Ligue 1 has decreased, with only Monaco's Takumi Minamino remaining, as Reims' Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito, Hiroki Sekine, and Auxerre's Ado Onaiwu have left. Morocco has also experienced a drop, with 10 fewer players this season (from 26 to 16).
Elsewhere, Neil el Aynaoui has left Lens for AS Rome, and Eliesse Ben Seghir has departed Monaco for Bayer Leverkusen. These moves have left gaps in the squads that will need to be filled in the coming months.
In the midst of these changes, the 2025–26 Ligue 1 season has seen Norway and Ivory Coast emerge as notable countries represented by key players. Ina Kristoffersen at Saint-Étienne and Yann Gboho, recognized as the league's top dribbler, represent Norway and Ivory Coast, respectively.
Finally, the North American presence in Ligue 1 has been reduced to 5 players, down from 6 last season. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how these changes affect the dynamics of Ligue 1 and the performance of its various clubs.
