Five French stars who never played in Ligue 1

In partnership with

OneFootball

·28 June 2025

Five French stars who never played in Ligue 1

Just a few hours ago, Paul Pogba's signing with AS Monaco was made official by the club from the Rock. It may come as a surprise, but the French legend will discover Ligue 1 at the age of 32.

On this occasion, we offer you to (re)discover these French stars who have never set foot on Ligue 1 pitches.

OneFootball Videos

This browser is not supported, please use a different one or install the app

Antoine Griezmann

Undoubtedly the most well-known example of all. Rejected by all the French clubs where he went for trials due to his too slender build, Antoine Griezmann finally found his happiness in Spain and has not left since.

📸 GOKHAN TANER

Dayot Upamecano

Trained at Valenciennes, Dayot Upamecano chose to exile himself in Austria with RB Salzburg to prove himself. It did him a lot of good, since his time at the club opened the doors to the Bundesliga and the French team for him.

📸 Dylan Buell - 2025 Getty Images

Théo Hernandez

Like his brother, Théo trained in Spain but with Real Madrid before heading to Serie A and settling with AC Milan. Having become a regular starter for the French team for three years, Hernandez is about to leave for Saudi Arabia.

📸 ISABELLA BONOTTO

Ibrahima Konaté

Like his central defensive partner for the French team, Ibrahima Konaté chose exile to grow. After about ten Ligue 2 matches with Sochaux, the giant left for Leipzig for four years before joining Liverpool in 2021.

📸 Alex Pantling - 2025 Getty Images

Micheal Olise

Born in London to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, Micheal Olise has spent his entire life in England but has stated that he has "always had a connection with the French team". That's why, despite having played his entire career on English pitches, and now those of the Bundesliga, the playmaker chose to wear the French jersey.