Making the step up: 5 former Ligue 2 players who have stood out this season
In our latest One To Watch, we profile five players who have impressed by taking the step up from Ligue 2 BKT this season.
A rich history
From contemporary stars like N'Golo Kanté, André-Pierre Gignac, and Sadio Mané to legends of the French game like Michel Platini and Bixente Lizarazu, Ligue 2 has been a fertile ground for talents across the years, and that's what's kept the clubs of Ligue 1 going back to the second division for top talents. Learn more about five of the most impressive players who could be the next big thing in Ligue 1 McDonald's having impressed upon their moves to the top flight.
Robin Risser, RC Lens
A product of the Strasbourg academy, and a French U-21 international, Risser was born in Alsace and joined Racing at the age of 13. However, with players like Matz Sels and Djordje Petrovic ahead of him in the pecking order, he found playing time hard to come by, and spent each of the last two seasons on loan at Dijon and Red Star. While with the capital side in Ligue 2, he was one of the division's most impressive young players, and caught the eye of Lens, who needed a replacement for Brice Samba. Signed for a bargain €3M over the summer, he's backstopped Le Sang et Or to a title challenge and what looks a certain place in the Champions League while marshaling an injury-hit defence, strong evidence of his promise.
🇫🇷 Robin Risser is currently the top-performing U21 goalkeeper.
* 17 matches played
* 13 goals conceded (0.76 per match)
* 6 clean sheets
One of Europe’s top young talents ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ytdyMyVM6m— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) January 4, 2026
Arsène Kouassi, FC Lorient
Born in Côte d'Ivoire, the Burkina Faso international came to France as a teenager, joining the Corsican side AC Ajaccio. Not a first-team regular until last season, the 22-year-old impressed with both his positional intelligence and workrate, and has shown more of the same since joining FC Lorient. Working under Olivier Pantaloni, the manager who gave him his debut with Ajaccio, he's gone from strength to strength, his play as an archetypal modern wingback some of the finest in the division.
Lionel Mpasi, Le Havre
Of course, not every player who comes from Ligue 2 and impresses is a youngster, as evidenced by the fine season Lionel Mpasi has had for Le Club Doyen. The France-born DR Congo international spent time as a youngster at the academies of both Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse, but didn't feature regularly until joining Rodez. After becoming first choice there in the 2020-21 season, at the age of 26, Mpasi has continued to impress He has been key for his country, helping them reach the World Cup for the first time in fifty years, and for Le Havre, keeping a clean sheet in two of his four starts even as Mory Diaw is Didier Digard's first choice.
Yassine the magician 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/4gyyUjmElh
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 5, 2026
Gessime Yassine, RC Strasbourg
If Mpasi's rise has been slow but steady, Yassine's has been positively meteoric. The Provence-born winger has gone from amateur side Istres to being a full international for Morocco in less than three years, and his strong play over the last two seasons at Dunkerque laid the foundation for that. Last season saw the northern side reach the semifinals of the Coupe de France and finish in the playoff positions, with Yassine pulling the strings on the flank. After a strong start to this season, he was signed by Strasbourg in the winter window, and his clever play on the ball has gone a long way towards helping the club manage injuries to the likes of Diego Moreira and Abdoul Ouattara.
Nhoa Sangui, Paris FC
Finally, for as much as veteran players like Moses Simon, Jonathan Ikoné and Ilan Kebbal have been key to the promoted side's strong form of late, young left back Sangui has also impressed. Born in the northern city of Creil, he joined the academy at Stade de Reims in 2021, and became a first team regular at the age of 18 last season while the Champagne side were still in the first division. Despite their relegation, he would return to the top flight, where he has continued to be one of the division's top young players.
