Stats: The numbers behind a historic Ligue 1 McDonald’s start

The Ligue 1 McDonald’s season has exploded into life. After eight matchdays, France’s top flight has been a festival of goals and emotion. From Marseille’s attacking fireworks to a flurry of late drama, the numbers confirm that this campaign is one for the ages.

A weekend of goals galore

The eighth matchday produced 40 goals in nine matches — an average of 4.44 per game.

With two six-goal thrillers (PSG–Strasbourg and Lorient–Brest) and an eight-goal classic at the Vélodrome (OM–Le Havre, 6-2), it was pure entertainment from start to finish.

That tally equals the highest-scoring round in a Ligue 1 season with 18 teams since 1997, matching Matchday 31 in 2023/24. You’d have to go back to the post-war years to find anything similar.

Europe’s second-most prolific league

So far, 218 goals have been scored in 72 Ligue 1 McDonald’s matches, an average of 3.03 per game.
That places France second among Europe’s top five leagues, behind only the Bundesliga (3.30), and comfortably ahead of La Liga (2.64), the Premier League (2.62) and Serie A (2.20).

Late goals and high drama

The action doesn’t stop until the final whistle. Nearly one-third of all goals (30%) this season have come after the 76th minute — the highest proportion in the last five years. That includes 18% of goals scored in the final five minutes and 11% in second-half added time, both figures up sharply on 2024/25. In short, matches are being decided later than ever before, and no lead feels safe.

Home advantage matters

Supporters are making the difference this year. 61% of all goals have been scored by the home team, compared to an average of 55% in recent seasons. It’s the clearest sign yet that packed stadiums and vibrant atmospheres are fuelling attacking football across the country.

More high-scoring games than ever

With 28 matches featuring more than three goals (39%), Ligue 1 McDonald’s has reached its highest rate of high-scoring encounters in six seasons. Blockbusters like Lorient–LOSC (1–7), Toulouse–PSG (3–6) and OM–Le Havre (6–2) have already matched — and surpassed — last season’s total of games with eight or more goals.

Comebacks and unpredictability

Teams are refusing to give up. Five sides have already avoided defeat after trailing by two or more goals — a total that nearly equals last season’s tally (six) after just eight rounds. Comebacks, twists and late goals have become defining features of the 2025/26 campaign.

Marseille’s attack on fire

No team embodies the spectacle quite like Olympique de Marseille.
With 21 goals scored in their first eight games, Roberto De Zerbi’s side boast the league’s most explosive attack. The numbers speak for themselves: six goals against Le Havre, five versus Paris FC, four at Lorient and three against Metz. OM are the sixth team since 2020/21 to reach 21 goals after eight matches, and in 2025 they’ve even overtaken PSG for games with four or more goals scored (8 to 7).