Ligue 1

Eighteen clubs, thirty-four rounds: the leanest calendar among Europe's major leagues, with a real winter break folded around Christmas. The bottom two drop straight to Ligue 2, and the cruellest fixture of the season belongs to 16th place: a two-legged playoff against a promotion hopeful, played after the final round, with the last spot in the division at stake.

Weekends open on Friday night and build towards the Sunday-evening showpiece, the slot where the round's biggest match usually lands; Saturday and early Sunday carry the rest, rarely more than a couple of games sharing an hour. The top three or four places reach the Champions League; the exact count moves with France's European coefficient.

This hub counts down every round in French time; club and matchup pages convert each kickoff to your own timezone.