Names, Numbers, Badges: A Complete Guide to Ligue 1 McDonald’s Jerseys

Squad Numbers

Since the 2022–23 season, the LFP has revised Article 576 of its regulations concerning jersey numbers. Ligue 1 McDonald’s players are now allowed to wear any number between 1 and 99, with the No. 1 still reserved exclusively for goalkeepers.

Previously, players were restricted to numbers up to 30 unless granted a special exemption. One such case was Gianluigi Donnarumma, who received special permission to wear No. 50 at Paris Saint-Germain since Lionel Messi took No. 30. Since arriving in Paris, Donnarumma has worn four different numbers in the French top flight: 1, 50, 99, and another earlier in his career.

While this flexibility is recent, assigning official squad numbers dates back to the 1996–97 season in Ligue 1 McDonald’s. Each player eligible for first-team duty must be assigned a fixed number for the season.

The official list cannot exceed 99 names, meaning No. 99 is the highest available number. All clubs must reserve at least one number for late squad additions. That jersey is the only one without a name on the back.

Starting in the 2025–26 season, regulations now allow for variation in the size of the number printed on the back of the shirt — either 20 cm or 25 cm tall, as opposed to the previous single option of 20 cm.

Players can change numbers from season to season. For example, at Stade Rennais, Kader Meïté has switched from No. 62 to No. 39, while Lilian Brassier has taken over No. 3 following Adrien Truffert’s departure in the summer transfer window.

Player Names on Jerseys

Player names first appeared at UEFA EURO 1992 and became a standard feature at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. In Ligue 1 McDonald’s names officially began appearing on jerseys at the start of the 1997–98 season. Before that, the upper back portion of the kit was typically reserved for a sponsor.

The name printed must match the one submitted on the official squad list. Nicknames and initials are not permitted, nor is the use of non-Latin alphabets — unless the player is granted an exception. This has applied to players such as Vitinha, whose full name is Vitor Machado Ferreira. In 2023–24, two players wore the name “Marquinhos” on their shirts: Marcos Aoas Correa of PSG and Marcus Vinicius Oliveira Alencar of Nantes.

Last season marked the first time all Ligue 1 McDonald's players wore a unified name design for International Women’s Rights Day. The special-event name set featured the inscription “WO=MAN” across all jerseys during early March fixtures.

Name and Number Font (Flocage)

The typography for names and numbers follows the LFP’s official branding guidelines, but it can be adapted for special occasions.

PSG, for instance, has used alternative fonts during “Le Classique” rivalry matches, including a Gothic style in 2024–25. The club also unveiled a Mandarin flocage to celebrate Lunar New Year, collaborated with rapper Central Cee on a special design, and released one with Arabic script for the Trophée des Champions. PSG also created a South Korea-themed design in another tribute.

AJ Auxerre also marked Lunar New Year on January 24 with a mandarin-style kit against AS Saint-Étienne.

Other clubs have made similar tributes. Toulouse FC honored the late fan Brice Taton with a kit featuring “BRICE” on the back during a September 2024 match against Lyon.

Colors of names and numbers may also vary for themed events. For instance, Olympique de Marseille wore a flocage in Côte d’Ivoire’s green and orange during an April fixture against Stade Brestois, replacing the traditional sky blue. This special “OM Africa” edition debuted during a February 2021 Classique.

In December 2021, PSG wore a gold flocage in celebration of Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d’Or. Marseille players also wore an “OM Africa” badge in place of their regular “Marseillais comme un seul OM” patch.

Official Badges

There are multiple official badges in Ligue 1 McDonald’s. First, every jersey must display the competition badge. Then, there is the special “Champion” badge for the reigning title-holders.

The “Champion” badge first appeared in 2000–01, worn by FC Nantes. Its design has evolved, with Lyon being the first to wear a “Ligue 1” version in 2002–03. Before that, champions wore an “LNF” badge for two seasons after the league rebranding to LFP.

Starting with Lyon in 2006–07, the badge began incorporating the Ligue 1 trophy and club colors. In 2010–11, Marseille’s champion badge featured their signature light blue.

For the 2024–25 season, the Ligue 1 McDonald’s logo appears on the badge, alongside the full name and colors of the current champion, Paris Saint-Germain. The competition and champion badges must be worn on the right sleeve of every jersey.

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The competition badge may also be replaced for certain campaigns, such as the anti-homophobia initiative during the final matchday of last season.

Two new badges were introduced recently: one for the league’s top scorer and another for the top assist provider, updated weekly. The top scorer badge, dubbed “S1,” debuted in 2023–24. The assist leader badge was added in 2024–25.

Captain’s Armband

According to league regulations, each captain must wear a clearly visible armband on their left arm. Though color schemes may vary, it cannot feature advertising or text other than “captain” or its abbreviation.

(Legendary Lyon captain Juninho famously wore multiple armband designs.)

Armbands have also been used to support league initiatives — for example, the “Tous arbitres” campaign led by the French Football Federation. During these themed weekends, captains wore special-edition armbands promoting respect for referees.

Special Jerseys: Tributes and Solidarity

In certain cases, clubs have modified names or sponsor logos on jerseys to honor victims of tragedy or commemorate important events.

On April 21, 2019, PSG replaced players’ names with “NOTRE DAME” and swapped out their sponsor for an image of the cathedral following the devastating fire at Notre-Dame de Paris.

In tribute to Emiliano Sala, FC Nantes wore special white kits with black print in early 2019. SM Caen also paid tribute in February of that year by wearing “SALA” on their jerseys during a match against Nantes. Bordeaux followed suit in January 2020, printing the Argentine flag and Sala’s initials (ES) on their shirts for a match at La Beaujoire.

AS Saint-Étienne honored former player William Gomis in September 2018 with a commemorative kit after his passing.

RC Strasbourg Alsace wore “Strasbourg Mon Amour” on their shirts to honor victims of the 2018 Christmas market attack in their city.

In August 2016, during a Nice vs. Rennes match, both clubs wore sponsor-free jerseys adorned with a heart listing the names of the 85 victims of the Bastille Day attack on the Promenade des Anglais.