# Who is the best midfielder in Ligue 1 history?

> From Platini's genius to Zidane's grace — debate who is the greatest midfielder in Ligue 1 history.

*By YPB Team · Published May 27, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-midfielder-in-ligue-1-history*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Michel Platini**
   Three-time Ballon d'Or winner who terrorised Ligue 1 defences with Nancy and Saint-Etienne before his legendary move to Juventus, scoring over 80 top-flight goals in France.
2. **Zinedine Zidane**
   Bordeaux's graceful playmaker who won Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 1996 and the UEFA Cup before becoming the world's best player at Juventus and Real Madrid.
3. **Jean Tigana**
   Tireless Bordeaux dynamo who won four Ligue 1 titles in the 1980s and finished second in the 1984 Ballon d'Or, making 544 career appearances in French football.
4. **Juninho Pernambucano**
   Lyon's Brazilian maestro who scored 100 goals across 343 appearances, renowned for an extraordinary free-kick technique that made him one of the most dangerous midfielders in league history.
5. **Alain Giresse**
   Bordeaux's diminutive but brilliant attacking midfielder who was the engine of the club's mid-1980s dominance and a key member of France's legendary 1984 Euro-winning side.
6. **Marco Verratti**
   PSG's Italian midfield conductor who spent over a decade at the club as one of the most technically refined playmakers in Ligue 1 history.
7. **Neymar**
   PSG's flamboyant Brazilian attacker who delivered five Ligue 1 titles and was regularly the league's most creative and influential player during his spell at the club.
8. **Hatem Ben Arfa**
   One of the most naturally gifted players to grace Ligue 1, the attacking midfielder produced a string of brilliant individual seasons for Nice and PSG.
9. **Florent Malouda**
   Lyon's dynamic left-sided midfielder who contributed heavily to six of the club's seven consecutive Ligue 1 title wins before a successful career at Chelsea.
10. **Samir Nasri**
   Marseille's gifted and technically exceptional attacking midfielder who dazzled Ligue 1 fans before moving to Arsenal and then Manchester City.

Tags: football, france, legends, ligue 1, midfielders