The Ligue 1 2026-27 top scorer race looks wide open. Paris Saint-Germain owns the deepest attack in France, yet it spreads goals across a front three, which is how Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul stole the 2025-26 golden boot with 21 goals. These five names are the favorites to top the charts this season.
Why this list matters
The top scorer market rewards volume and minutes, not just talent. PSG dominates Ligue 1, yet the club shares goals among Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, so no single Parisian ran away with the race in 2025-26.
That is how Esteban Lepaul edged them all. For US soccer fans tracking the golden boot on beIN Sports, the smart questions are simple: who plays every week, who takes the penalties, and whose team funnels chances to one man. Those answers shape this ranking.
5. Amine Gouiri
Amine Gouiri enters 2026-27 as Marseille’s main striker by default. The departures of Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stripped the Vélodrome of its top scorers, and new coach Bruno Genesio has publicly backed the Algeria international to lead the line.
Gouiri knows Genesio well from their years together at Lyon and Rennes, which should speed his move into the focal role. His 2025-26 return was modest, slowed by injuries and a crowded attack, but a clear run as the No. 9 with penalty duties available lifts his ceiling. The one caveat is that several European clubs circled him late in the summer window.
- Goals in all competitions for Marseille in 2025-26: 11
4. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the most complete attacker in the Paris front line, and his numbers keep climbing. The Georgia winger scored 19 goals in all competitions in 2025-26, his best tally since joining PSG, and he grew into a real leader of the attack under Luis Enrique.
He cuts inside from the left, shoots early, and manufactures his own chances, which is the profile that piles up league goals. The obstacle is the same one facing every Parisian: rotation. Kvaratskhelia will sit for big Champions League nights and rest weeks. If Luis Enrique leans on him domestically, he can clear 15 league goals.
- Goals in all competitions in 2025-26: 19
3. Désiré Doué
Désiré Doué is the rising star who could turn a supporting role into a starring one. At 21, the France forward was named Golden Boy 2025, scored in the 2025 Champions League final, and opened 2026-27 by scoring in the UEFA Super Cup.
Luis Enrique often uses him centrally, closer to goal, which lifts his scoring output. Doué managed 13 goals across all competitions last season while splitting minutes. A larger role, plus his knack for arriving late in the box, makes him a live outsider for the golden boot. His finishing has sharpened every year.
- Goals in all competitions in 2025-26: 13
2. Esteban Lepaul
Esteban Lepaul is the reigning Ligue 1 top scorer, and everything points to a repeat. He won the 2025-26 golden boot with 21 goals, five clear of the field, becoming the first scorer from outside PSG to top the charts since Alexandre Lacazette in 2014-15. Rennes rewarded him with a contract through 2030 and rebuffed interest from Atlético Madrid.
His preseason was ferocious, including a hat trick against Galatasaray. As Rennes’ undisputed No. 9 and penalty taker, he gets the volume that PSG’s rotated stars cannot match. That combination makes him the value pick of the entire market.
- Ligue 1 goals in 2025-26: 21
1. Ousmane Dembélé
Ousmane Dembélé is the bookmakers’ favorite, and the reason is his 2024-25 season. That year he won both the Ligue 1 golden boot and the league best player award, piling up 33 goals and 13 assists in 47 games across all competitions as PSG completed a Champions League and Ligue 1 double.
When fully fit, he is the most devastating scorer in France. The caveat is fitness. Dembélé lost stretches of 2025-26 to muscle injuries and finished with 20 goals in all competitions. A clean run of games would likely settle this race early. Health is the only thing standing between him and a second golden boot.
- Goals in all competitions in 2024-25: 33
The verdict
Ousmane Dembélé is the safest bet on talent, but Esteban Lepaul is the sharpest bet on value, because he starts every week and takes the penalties while PSG rotates. Watch how Luis Enrique manages his front three. The more he splits the load among Dembélé, Doué, and Kvaratskhelia, the wider the lane opens for Lepaul or even a surprise like Marseille’s Amine Gouiri. In a race between talent and minutes, minutes often decide the golden boot.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Ligue 1 2026-27 top scorer favorite? Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain is the bookmakers’ favorite, thanks to his 2024-25 golden boot. Reigning champion Esteban Lepaul of Rennes is the leading challenger and the strongest value pick.
Can a player from outside PSG win the Ligue 1 golden boot? Yes. Esteban Lepaul did it in 2025-26 with 21 goals, the first scorer from outside PSG to lead the league since Alexandre Lacazette in 2014-15.
Where can I watch Ligue 1 in the US in 2026-27? beIN Sports holds the exclusive US rights to Ligue 1 through 2028-29, in English and Spanish. You can stream it directly through beIN Sports Connect or through Fubo, which carries the beIN channels.
When does the Ligue 1 2026-27 season start? The season runs from August 21, 2026 to May 29, 2027, across 18 clubs and 34 matchdays, with the top scorer decided on the final day.