Kylian Mbappe secures fourth consecutive Ligue 1 Player of the Season Award as PSG clinches record 11th title. With that award he became the only player to achieve it for four consecutive times. Previously Zlatan Ibrahimovic won three times in a row. Mbappe’s Record in 22/23 Season at Ligue 1 Kylian Mbappe, the renowned Paris Saint-Germain star, achieved a remarkable feat in Ligue 1 on Sunday night. He secured his fourth consecutive title as the French League Player of the Season. The 24-year-old prolific striker has not only netted 28 goals in the league but has also claimed the title of the top goal scorer in Ligue 1 for a remarkable five consecutive times. This season he also assisted five goals. 31st Edition of the Trophées UNFP Ceremony The ceremony took place in Paris, graced by the presence of numerous players. Mbappe became the winner, surpassing contenders such as Lionel Messi, Loïs Openda, Séko Fofana of Lens, and Jonathan David, the forward from Lille. Mbappe, along with his teammate Nuno Mendes, who received the Young Player of the Year award, became the sole PSG representative to claim individual awards. Notably, Lionel Messi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, did not secure the awards for the categories they were nominated in. However, Messi did not attend the ceremony as he went to Barcelona to watch the Coldplay concert. Read more: Indonesia to Host Argentina In a Friendly Football Match on June 2023 By securing this award, Mbappe has now claimed the prestigious title of Ligue 1 Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive time. This remarkable achievement surpasses Zlatan Ibrahimovic's record of three awards, which he also earned during his time at PSG. Continuing an extraordinary streak, Paris Saint-Germain has once again produced the Player of the Year, marking the seventh consecutive year of their dominance. This outstanding line includes notable players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2016), Edinson Cavani (2017), Neymar Jr (2018), and Kylian Mbappe (2019, 2021, and 2022). Having been named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons (2017, 2018, 2019), Mbappe continued his dominance by capturing the coveted Player of the Year award for the subsequent four seasons, extending his winning streak to a remarkable eight trophies in a row, until 2023. Will Mbappe Stay with PSG? Based on reports, unless the 24-year-old exercises an option to extend his contract until 2025, his contract with PSG is set to expire next year. Amidst swirling rumors about the French star's potential departure from the club next year, he personally confirmed and reassured fans of his commitment to stay with PSG for the upcoming season. Nevertheless, Mbappe's exceptional talent has garnered interest from Real Madrid. So, we will have to wait one more season to see if Mbappe continues playing with PSG. Read more: BAN vs AFG Series 2023: Fixtures, Schedules, Teams, Head-to-Head Records Final Words This outstanding achievement sets his status as one of the league's brightest stars and highlights his dominance on the football field. With each passing season, Mbappe continues to elevate his game, fascinating fans with his remarkable skills and goal-scoring ability. As he adds another award to his growing list of achievements, the football world eagerly awaits to witness the next chapter in Kylian Mbappe's illustrious career.

French league leader Paris Saint-Germain crumbled under pressure to lose 3-1 at Lens for its first defeat of the season on Sunday as second-place Lens cut the gap to four points and maintained its perfect home record. PSG's weakness against the counterattack was ruthlessly exposed by Lens. The northern side scored at the start of each half and dominated the midfield battle against a rattled PSG to make it nine straight home victories for coach Franck Haise's side. Lens has the league's best defense with 11 goals allowed in 17 matches, compared to 13 for PSG. Frustrated PSG coach Christophe Galtier was alarmed by the performance, saying his players did not stick to the game plan. “I struggled to recognize my team. We lacked solidarity and we got wiped out the more the game went on, leaving them far too much room,” he said. “In fact, we did the opposite of what we should have. We struggled against Lens' pressing, we should have played more long passes to make them defend deeper. Athletically, we were dominated.” Read more: Tchouaméni shows at World Cup why Mbappé wanted him at PSG Haise, meanwhile, celebrated his 100th game in charge by grabbing a microphone and singing a club anthem with the jubilant fans. Closely knit with its supporters, Lens has strong working-class roots from its history as a mining community and is known as Les Sang et Or (The Blood and Gold) for its yellow jersey and red shorts. Lens won its only league title in 1998 and was a close runner-up to Lyon in 2002. The first goal came in the fifth minute. Lens used its strong pressing game to win the ball and moved it wide left to Florian Sotoca, whose goal-bound cross was palmed away by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma only for winger Przemyslaw Frankowski to volley home. The lead was short-lived as forward Hugo Ekitiké, given a rare start in the absence of Neymar and Lionel Messi, scored from close range three minutes later after Lens failed to deal with a cross from the right. PSG was without Neymar, through suspension, and World Cup winner Messi, who is returning to training after an extended stay back home in Argentina. “They are two great players who make the difference but that is not an excuse,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “We lacked cohesion, efficiency and intensity.” PSG's weakness against rapid attacks was exposed when midfielder Seko Fofana won the ball near his own penalty area and threaded a 40-meter pass to Loïs Openda. He expertly cut inside defender Marquinhos before slipping the ball under Donnarumma. PSG conceded just two minutes into the second half as midfielder Fabien Ruiz lost the ball, Openda back-heeled it to forward Alexis Claude-Maurice and he slotted past Donnarumma. PSG star Kylian Mbappé was kept quiet, with the league's 13-goal top scorer mustering only a speculative shot in the 60th. Galtier's decision to play Mbappé and Morocco right back Achraf Hakimi this week in back-to-back games so soon after the World Cup appeared to backfire as both looked jaded. Galtier said they will be rested for Friday's French Cup game at Châteauroux. Read more: Messi, Neymar & Mbappe all score as PSG beat Troyes 4-3 OTHER MATCHES Monaco moved up to fourth place after winning 1-0 at home to Brest, with Russia midfielder Alexandr Golovin scoring in the 54th minute. Monaco coach Philippe Clement made a bold choice selecting 17-year-old Eliesse Ben Seghir over established striker Wissam Ben Yedder, the club's top scorer for the past three seasons. “He brought a lot of energy to the team,” Clement said. “What’s important is not a player’s age but what he shows on the field.” Ben Seghir made a sensational league debut in midweek, coming off the bench to score twice — including an Mbappé-style curling winner — to help Monaco win 3-2 at Auxerre. Monaco is level on points with third-place Marseille, which plays at Montpellier on Monday. Lyon lost 1-0 at home to Clermont, with midfielder Muhammed Cham scoring a penalty with three minutes left. The win moved Clermont into ninth place and two points behind Lyon in eighth. Rock-bottom Angers took a 10th-minute lead through striker Abdallah Sima, but Lorient equalized in the 79th when Sima turned Enzo Le Fée's corner into his own net. Le Fée hit the winner for 2-1 as Lorient moved up to sixth spot. Toulouse won 2-0 against Ajaccio, with goals from Rafael Ratao and captain Brecht Dejaegere. Substitute Marcus Coco scored the winner as Nantes beat Auxerre 1-0 to pull clear of the relegation zone. MONDAY'S GAMES Rennes needs a home win over Nice to move above Monaco into at least fourth place in the chase for a Europa League spot. After a narrow 2-1 defeat at PSG, struggling Strasbourg hosts Troyes, and Lille hosts Reims.

Kylian Mbappe scored a late winner as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain edged Nice 2-1 to restore its two-point lead over Marseille in the French league on Saturday. Mbappe pounced on a pass from Nordi Mukiele to beat Kasper Schmeichel with a low strike in the 83rd minute. The France striker tied Neymar as the joint top scorer in the league with eight. Lionel Messi gave PSG the lead in the 29th with a curling free kick into the top corner from 22 yards. Messi's fifth league goal was one shy of his league tally last season when he took time to adapt to a new club and struggled with knocks and a bout of COVID-19. Gaetan Laborde equalized from close range just after halftime after the PSG defense failed to clear a cross from Youcef Atal. “We started the second half with no energy, no rhythm and no intensity, and we let Nice have more possession,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier said. “We put ourselves in trouble by running after the ball, by not winning our duels and not playing the ball out from the back like we should have. Nice equalized quite logically. So, we had to inject more energy, more speed and more verticality.” Messi shone with Argentina during the international break by scoring twice against Honduras and twice against Jamaica, and could have added a second goal on the stroke of halftime with a powerful strike that Schmeichel tipped over the bar. PSG needed Messi’s brilliance because forward Hugo Ekitike, who got his first start this season, proved toothless and didn’t make runs in behind the defense like Mbappe does. Nice pressed high up the pitch to prevent PSG from creating chances. That defensive ploy worked until the 27th when Messi started a dribbling run, outpacing Mario Lemina before taking on Dante, who tripped the Argentina playmaker and conceded the free kick that led to the opening goal. Ahead of a key Champions League match at Benfica next week, PSG rested Mbappe and Nuno Mendes until both came off the bench in the second half. Also, Rennes is starting to gel after an uneven start to the season, climbing to fifth place after beating 10-man Strasbourg 3-1. Strasbourg defender Gerzino Nyamsi was sent off for planting his studs into Benjamin Bourigeaud’s thigh with his follow through after clearing the ball in the 28th. That was not long after veteran striker Kevin Gameiro had a goal disallowed for offside. Arnaud Kalimuendo took advantage in the 38th by controlling a cross from Adrien Truffert to fire into the bottom corner on the turn. Rennes doubled the lead with a low strike from Martin Terrier in the 49th. Kalimuendo set up Amine Gouiri for the third goal in the 61st. “We are refinding our rhythm from the end of last season,” Terrier said. “There were new signings, they needed time to settle in.” Rennes signed mobile strikers Kalimuendo from Paris Saint-Germain and Gouiri from Nice in the summer to replace the departing Gaetan Laborde, a more traditional center forward. Strasbourg managed a consolation goal from a penalty by Habib Diallo in the 72nd after Rennes right back Hamari Traore brought down Gameiro. They remained in the relegation zone and the only winless team in the league.

Neymar won and scored a penalty as Paris Saint-Germain rallied to draw 1-1 at home to Monaco and stay in first place in the French league on Sunday. Neymar latched onto Lionel Messi's pass down the left and cut inside central defender Guillermo Maripan, who appeared to catch him with an outstretched leg. The referee waved away PSG's penalty claims but then awarded the kick following a video review. Neymar used his usual staggered run-up to confuse goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel before casually guiding the ball inside the left post. It was Neymar's sixth goal in the league and eighth goal in five games overall. PSG has 10 points and leads on goal difference from bitter rival Marseille and northern side Lens. Monaco rode its luck at times but closed down PSG well early on, denying space to its famed attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, then took the lead in the 20th. After recent signing Mohamed Camara tackled Messi near the halfway line, Russia midfielder Aleksandr Golovin sent a pass into the path of German striker Kevin Volland, who held off central defender Presnel Kimpembe before striking a low shot into the bottom right corner. PSG's strike force had netted 17 league goals in the three previous league games under new coach Christophe Galtier, but did not hit the target until Mbappe's tame shot in the 37th. “They closed us down well,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “They stopped us bringing the ball out from the back.” PSG then struck the post twice in first-half injury time, with Messi's curler from 20 meters clipping the left upright and bouncing to Mbappe, who rushed his shot and hit the base of the right post. Marquinhos conceded a clumsy corner right at the start of the second half and, minutes later, Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder went close with a lob for 12th-place Monaco after goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma rushed off his line. Read:Liverpool equals EPL record in 9-0 win over Bournemouth Nuebel made a fine stop to deny Neymar in the 59th but was well beaten on his penalty. Meanwhile, coach Igor Tudor’s new-look Marseille is looking good as Alexis Sanchez scored twice and his team won 3-0 at southern rival Nice in an earlier game. Nice recruited strongly, bringing in established Premier League players like goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, midfielder Aaron Ramsey and forward Nicolas Pepe, but is still seeking a win and is in 18th place. Marseille has made a strong start under Tudor, who is known as a disciplinarian and whose appointment was questioned by fans — especially when he left veteran playmaker Dimitri Payet out of the first three games. But Tudor is winning the fans over with a high-octane brand of pressing soccer. He also said he'd give the 35-year-old Payet games. This time, he started him playing just behind Sanchez — a much-heralded signing from Italian champion Inter Milan. The Chile forward grabbed his first goal in the 10th minute and, after former Arsenal fullback Nuno Tavares made it three goals in four games this season, Tavares combined with Payet to help set up Sanchez's second goal in the 42nd. OTHER MATCHES Marseille was not the only side scoring freely away from home, with Montpellier netting five first-half goals in a 7-0 victory at Brest. The 19-year-old striker Elye Wahi scored twice and veteran forward Valere Germain added two second-half goals for eighth-place Montpellier. It was a stinging defeat for Brest coach Michel Der Zakarian, who played 10 years for the club as a defender and coached it from 2017-21. Striker Moussa Dembélé's towering late header earned fourth-place Lyon a 1-1 draw at Reims. Promoted Toulouse led early with a goal from midfielder Zakaria Aboukhlal but conceded three second-half goals in a 3-1 loss at midtable Nantes. Nigeria striker Terem Moffi scored both goals as Lorient beat Clermont 2-1 at home. Elsewhere, Troyes beat Angers 3-1 in a scrap between lowly sides.

Kylian Mbappe scored after just eight seconds of play to claim the joint-fastest goal in the history of the French league on Sunday. Mbappe found the net at the start of a 7-1 win for defending champion Paris Saint-Germain over Lille on Sunday. The visitors needed just four passes from kickoff to score as Lionel Messi hit a superb ball over the top for Mbappe, who cleverly lobbed Lille goalkeeper Leo Jardim. PSG coach Christophe Galtier gave credit to his technical staff and to the club's Under-19 team. From kickoff, Neymar played the ball back before receiving it again and passing to Messi, who spotted Mbappe’s run and had the technical brilliance to exploit it. Read:Thriving Modric helps Madrid get over Casemiro's departure “Our Under-19 team did it in the youth league against Salzburg,” Galtier told a news conference. “We showed it to the players. They were OK to try it. So, we worked on it in training and it was very well executed tonight.” The French league tweeted that Mbappe’s goal ties midfielder Michel Rio who also needed just eight seconds to score for Caen against Cannes in 1992. French sports paper L’Equipe was more cautious, calling it the fastest goal since Rio’s with Mbappe’s goal closer to nine seconds, it said. The French league started in 1932. Galtier was referrring to Edouard Michut’s goal in a 3-1 loss to Salzburg in the youth league in March. Michut needed 11 seconds to score according to PSG’s official website. The French coach also said that his staff studied similar kickoff routines in the German, English and Spanish leagues, mentioning Bournemouth and Rayo Vallecano as teams that scored such goals. Mbappe had a hat trick while Neymar scored two goals and provided three assists against Lille as PSG extended its perfect start to the season with three wins from three games.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe won the French league's best player award for the third time in his career on Sunday, then diplomatically swerved a question about his future. Mbappe is out of contract at PSG next month and touted to join Karim Benzema at Real Madrid in what would be a formidable attack force. Mbappe said he didn’t want to announce his decision during the ceremony but added “Yes, pretty much” when asked if he’s made his mind up over whether to stay or go. Mbappe is the league's top scorer with 25 goals for the French champion and has netted 36 in all competitions. Also read:Late goal gives Sevilla final Champions League spot in Spain The awards are given annually by the National Union of Professional Football Players (UNFP) to players in France’s top two divisions. The 23-year-old France star won the award last year — when Mbappe netted a career-high 42 goals overall — and in 2019. “It's always an honor to be here. Winning for a third time in a row is incredible," Mbappe said. “I’ve felt the recognition this season more than ever.” The trophy was not awarded in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic ended the season 10 games early. Although PSG comfortably won the league title — which it surprisingly lost to Lille last season — Mbappe's goals and assists masked glaring shortcomings which were ruthlessly exposed by Madrid in the round of 16 in the Champions League. PSG led 2-0 on aggregate thanks to Mbappe's goals, but then allowed three goals in under 20 minutes as Benzema tore the defense apart with a brilliant hat trick. Mbappe's partnership with Benzema has blossomed since Benzema's return to the national side after seven years out and they both scored heavily in the past year for Les Bleus. Benzema struck a magnificent goal in the Nations League final against Spain and Mbappe scored the winner. Mbappe has scored 168 goals for PSG since joining from Monaco in a deal worth 180 million euros ($187 million) five years ago, the second highest tally in the club's history behind former teammate Edinson Cavani with 200 goals. “I want to keep improving,” Mbappe said, laughing when the on-stage interviewer asked if he thought he could overtake Cavani at PSG, which would obviously mean staying there. Also read: FIFA takes on EA Sports video game in soccer’s new rivalry “I'm already very happy to be in the top three,” said Mbappe, who overtook Zlatan Ibrahimovic's PSG tally of 156 goals. But PSG's failure to win the Champions League despite massive spending on star players — including a world record 222 million euros ($231 million) on Brazil's Neymar — has proved frustrating for Mbappe, the star of France's World Cup triumph four years ago. In other awards, Bruno Genesio of Rennes was named best coach. The former Lyon coach was criticized early in the season but stuck to his principles. Fourth-place Rennes has played some of the best attacking soccer in France, scoring 80 goals in 37 games and only five fewer than top scorers PSG. The best goalkeeper award went to PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma, and 21-year-old Marseille defender William Saliba, who is on loan from Premier League team Arsenal, was the best young player.

Lionel Messi's life in Paris is going to be more complicated than expected after three outings and still without a goal. Messi looked perplexed when he was taken off in the 75th minute of a league match against Olympique Lyon on Sunday (September 19). Mauricio Pochettino clarified his stance in the post-match press conference. According to his remark, Messi has a slight injury and he did not want to risk him. PSG's next league encounter is on Wednesday (September 22) against Metz. Will Lionel Messi start this match for PSG? The match preview of Metz vs. PSG is discussed in this article.   Probable Team Lineups: Metz vs. PSG A good number of Metz players are injured, and three of them will miss the rest of the season. So, they are concerned about picking the best starting XI for this matchup. Probable Playing XI (Metz): Alexandre Oukidja (GK), Kiki Kouyate, Dylan Bronn, Matthieu Udol, Fabien Centonze, Habib Maiga, Pape Sarr, Pape Ndiaga Yade, Lamine Gueye, Farid Boulaya, Ibrahima Niane Read FC Barcelona: Four Potential Replacements for Ronald Koeman Aside from Lionel Messi's knee issue, Paris-Saint-Germain have a long list of injuries to worry about. A number of PSG's key players were ruled out of the match against Metz due to injuries. The Italian midfielder Marco Verratti, regular captain Marquinhos, Brazilian Rafinha, Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Spanish left-back Juan Bernat all will miss this fixture. However, the absence of those players will not make PSG's team any weaker than their opponent. They have enough depth in their squad to deploy a solid starting lineup against Metz. Probable Playing XI (PSG): Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK), Achraf Hakimi, Presnel Kimpembe, Thilo Kehrer, Nuno Mendes, Ander Herrera, Georginio Wijnaldum, Leandro Paredes, Ángel Di María, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Read Premier League 2021-2022: Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool win their respective matches Head-to-Head: Metz vs. PSG Both teams have met 34 times in total, with PSG leading the head-to-head battle with 23 victories. On the other hand, Metz have only won six games and five have resulted in a draw. All of Metz's victories over PSG have come in league matches, while PSG have won a league cup match in addition to 22 league matches. PSG have won 13 games at Saint-Symphorien, with the remaining 10 triumphs coming at Parc des Princes. Read FIFA sets talks with soccer leaders on biennial World Cup Prediction: FC Metz vs. Paris-Saint Germain  Paris Saint-Germain are the clear favorite to win the league match against FC Metz on Wednesday (September 22). Metz will have a very slim chance in this match if PSG play to their full potential. Mauricio Pochettino has a variety of attacking options at his disposal. He could go all-in against the home team. If not, he may choose to play it safe and try to finish the game as quickly as possible. If Messi plays, PSG's best option will be a 4-3-3 formation. However, if Messi is rested, PSG may opt for a 4-2-3-1 system with Neymar upfront. Read Pele: First Brazilian football player to be dubbed as the greatest of all time On the other hand, FC Metz can only hope to save this match. So, they may use a 5-3-2 formation to strengthen the defensive line. Metz's main goal would be to block PSG's attack and fight till the end for a glorious draw. Prediction: Metz 1 – 4 PSG    Verdict With or without Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain are the favorite in the Metz vs. PSG match. Because Metz are currently in the bottom position in the points table with three points from six games, while PSG are in the first position with a perfect record after six matches. They have enough strength in the squad to overcome Metz even if their best players are rested. Metz will be sorely tested at home in order to avoid a humiliating defeat. Things might become even worse for the host team if Lionel Messi does indeed play for PSG in this match. Read Champions League 2021-2022: Results of the first round of the group stage

Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has been hired as the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, the French league giant announced on Saturday.

Nice, Aug 29 (AP/UNB) — The French league game between Nice and Marseille was halted for several minutes during the first half Wednesday after Nice fans unfurled two banners with homophobic messages.