When you think of France’s top flight—Paris, glamour, fierce derbies—you probably picture the majesty of the game. But beneath the spectacle lie names etched into the league’s soul by pure goalscoring. In this article, CantoKick takes you on a deep dive into the top goal scorers in Ligue 1 history—the legends, the stories behind the numbers, and how today’s stars stack up.
What defines a Ligue 1 all-time top scorer?
Before we name names, a few clarifications matter. The list ranks players by league goals scored in French top division matches, cross-checked for consistency.
You’ll see alongside each player not just their goal tally, but number of appearances and goals per game ratio—because a great scorer isn’t just about volume, but efficiency.
The all-time top scorers: The kings of the French pitch
Here are the leading marksmen in Ligue 1 history—those whose names are forever inked in the record books.
| Rank | Player | Goals | Appearances | Goals per Game | Clubs |
| 1 | Delio Onnis | 299 | ~449 | ~0.67 | Reims, Monaco, Tours, Toulon |
| 2 | Bernard Lacombe | 255 | ~497 | ~0.51 | Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Bordeaux |
| 3 | Hervé Revelli | 216 | ~389 | ~0.56 | Saint-Étienne, Nice |
| 4 | Roger Courtois | 210 | ~288 | ~0.73 | Sochaux, Troyes |
| 5 | Thadée Cisowski | 206 | ~286 | ~0.72 | Metz, RC Paris, Valenciennes |
| 6 | Roger Piantoni | 203 | ~394 | ~0.52 | Nancy, Reims, Nice |
| 7 | Kylian Mbappé | 191 | ~246 | ~0.78 | Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain |
| 8 | Joseph Ujlaki | 190 | ~438 | ~0.43 | Various French clubs |
| 9 | Fleury Di Nallo | 187 | ~425 | ~0.44 | Lyon, Red Star |
| 10 | Carlos Bianchi / Gunnar Andersson | 179 | ~220 / ~234 | ~0.81 / ~0.76 | Bianchi: Reims, PSG, Strasbourg; Andersson: Marseille, Bordeaux |
- Sources agree Onnis is the leader with 299 goals.†*
Delio Onnis’s record is formidable—299 goals is a number that has stood invincible for decades. He led the scoring charts five times and thrived across multiple clubs in France. Meanwhile, Bernard Lacombe sits as a close second but still trails by 44 goals. At #7, Kylian Mbappé is the only deeply modern-era player in this top echelon, still adding to his Ligue 1 legacy as of 2025.
† Based on official Ligue 1 records and compendia of historical statistics.
Delio Onnis: The unconquered king
No profile of top goal scorers in Ligue 1 history would be complete without Delio Onnis. Born in Italy but raised in Argentina, Onnis arrived in France in the early 1970s. Over 15 seasons in the French top flight, he racked up 299 goals in ~449 matches, achieving that iconic ~0.67 goals-per-game rate.
His peak years were at Monaco, where he consistently terrorized defenses. He claimed Ligue 1’s Golden Boot on five occasions. Onnis also lifted silverware—a French Division 1 title and a Coupe de France—cementing that he wasn’t purely a scorer, but a winner. His sustained dominance across multiple club contexts makes him unique among his peers.
The challengers: legends and unsung greats
Bernard Lacombe & Hervé Revelli
Lacombe’s longevity and consistency earned him second place among all-time scorers. Revelli blends in as the third, having been a force in the 1960s and 70s, doing much of his damage for Saint-Étienne and Nice.
Roger Courtois & Thadée Cisowski
These names jump. Courtois’s ratio is stellar (over 0.7), proving that even in older eras, efficiency counted. Cisowski brought flair and scoring.
Roger Piantoni
A bit more under the radar to newer fans, Piantoni navigated the golden age of French football and accumulated over 200 Ligue 1 goals, a mark few have matched.
Mbappé: Modern prodigy
In the era of parachuting superstars and heavy rotation, Kylian Mbappé stands out. With 191 goals, he is the highest-scoring player still active. His goals-per-game ratio (0.78) is among the best of all time. If he stays in France long enough, he could threaten the up.
Others: Ujlaki, Di Nallo, Bianchi, Andersson
These names may not be household words today, but each left an imprint. Bianchi, for instance, also won multiple Golden Boots. Andersson drilled his goals during an era of raw physicality. Ujlaki, Di Nallo—steady scorers across many seasons.
Trends, context, and lessons from the scoring charts
Era differences
The early decades of Ligue 1 saw lower overall scoring rates and fewer matches, older-era players often had fewer opportunities to amass high totals. Modern players may have more matches, but face greater parity and tactical constraints. That makes Mbappé’s climb even more impressive.
Goals-per-game matters
A tally is impressive, but efficiency tells more. Players like Courtois, Cisowski, Bianchi had exceptional goals-per-game ratios, outpacing many with longer careers.
Club stability and role
Players who stayed many seasons in goal-scoring roles (like Onnis or Lacombe) naturally had advantage. Frequent moves or rotation can ham.
Active prospects
Mbappé is the only player in the current top set still active in Ligue 1. If he maintains form, he may close the gap to Lacombe or Revelli in coming seasons.
How current stars measure up
- Kylian Mbappé has already stacked ~191 goals in Ligue 1, climbing to 7th all-time.
- Alexandre Lacazette, in his time in France, has ~146–150 Ligue 1 goals—not yet top 5, but solid for his era.
- Wissam Ben Yedder sits around ~161 goals in French top flights, putting him in high-level company though not topmost.
- Emerging names may join the leaderboard, but few today have the longevity or consistent role to challenge the old guard.
Final Thoughts
Top goal scorers in Ligue 1 history is not just a list of names—it’s a chronicle of eras, pure firepower, and football evolution in France. Delio Onnis sits atop an untouchable summit with 299 goals; legends like Lacombe, Revelli, Courtois, and Cisowski round out the pantheon.
If you’re following Ligue 1, ambitious young stars like Mbappé provide modern relevance, while the legends of the past anchor the league’s heritage. CantoKick invites you next to dive season-by-season top scorer data, or compare these figures with La Liga, Premier League, and Serie A all-time scorers.
