Fantasy Ligue 1, the official fantasy league of Ligue 1 McDonald’s, allows fans to prove their managerial skills and win prizes. Each matchday presents a fresh opportunity to select the best team with a limited budget and compete for the top spot. To succeed in this competition, it's crucial to understand the rules.
Team Selection and Budget
Each week, participants are allocated a budget of 200 million euros to build their team. This must be done before each matchday of Ligue 1 McDonald’s, and up to one minute before the first game kicks off. The team comprises 11 starters, with the option to include up to four substitutes, consisting of one goalkeeper, one defender, one midfielder, and one forward.
A variety of strategies can be employed, from selecting a team of star players mixed with undervalued talents to creating a balanced squad. However, a key constraint is that only a maximum of three players from the same club can be selected.
Starting Lineup and Substitutes
Choosing the starting 11 and substitutes is a critical part of the game. For a substitute to replace a starter, the starter must not have played in the real-life match. If a starter is absent, the substitute in the corresponding position will automatically take their place, provided they played. However, failing to account for absent players can lead to a zero score for the vacant position.
Captains are chosen to receive a 5% bonus to their score, making this decision a crucial one.
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Special Cases
Several scenarios can affect player selection:
- Advanced/Postponed/Cancelled Matches: Players involved in these matches are not selectable.
- Mid-Week Transfers: A player transferred during the week will be added to the game as soon as possible.
- Players Transferred During the Weekend: These players are considered as not playing.
Dynamic Player Values
A unique feature of Fantasy Ligue 1 is the fluctuation of player values after each matchday, reflecting their real-world performance in Ligue 1 McDonald’s. A player's value changes based on supply and demand within the Fantasy Ligue 1 market. Discovering undervalued talent can be a key to success.
For example, young players or those returning from injury may have lower initial values. If they perform well and are selected by more players, their value will increase. Although the team resets each week, a player who was acquired for €9M and increases to €18M the following week must be repurchased at the new price. Conversely, underperforming players will see their value decrease. Gauging which players to retain and which to bet on for cost-effective savings is essential.
Initial values for the first matchday are based on past performances.
Player Scoring
Players are rated out of 10 based on their real-world performances, using a unique algorithm. The team's score for the matchday is the sum of the scores of the 11 players. A player who does not play, after substitutions, will receive a score of 0/10. Team results are available from 6:30 AM the day after the final match of the day. Players can then check their ranking among all participants, fans of their favorite club, or friends.
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A new game week starts the Monday following the last match of the previous week.
Weekly Competitions
Fantasy Ligue 1 offers weekly competitions, allowing players to start fresh each matchday. Participants have 34 chances to win, with each week offering a new opportunity to win prizes. Forgetting to validate a team one week does not affect future chances. There is also a general classification that accumulates scores from each week, rewarding the most consistent player at the end of the season.
In short, the team resets each week, and players can join anytime during the year, with an equal chance of winning each week's ranking.
Tie-Breaking Criteria
In the event of a tie in the weekly rankings, the following criteria are used:
- Player with the most players
- Player who spent the least
- Player with the lowest average pick percentage
For ties in the general classification:
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- Player who has made their team the most times
- Player with the most players on average
- Player who has spent the least on average
- Player with the lowest average pick percentage
Goal Reclassification
The team's result is available from 6:30 AM the day after the last match of the day. However, goals initially attributed to one player may be reclassified (e.g., as an own goal) by the LFP Competitions Committee after the matchday. In such cases, the scores of the affected players will be updated, potentially changing the overall score. These changes can occur up to 24 hours before the start of the next matchday.
Ligue 1 Transfer Rules
Due to financial constraints, Ligue 1 clubs are expected to operate with caution during the summer transfer window. Clubs are limited to a maximum of five players on loan from other French teams. When negotiating with foreign clubs, French teams can loan up to six players from abroad and loan out six of their own players. Permanent transfers are also subject to regulations.
Both loaned players and permanent transfers are considered when assessing squad composition. Like the starting lineup, clubs must ensure they have enough players with professional contracts to participate in the French league. Players cannot be registered with more than three clubs in a single season (July 1 to June 30 of the following year).
Yellow Card Accumulation
Starting in the 2025-2026 season, the rules regarding automatic suspensions for yellow card accumulation will change. Previously, a player or coach would be suspended after accumulating three yellow cards in a period of 10 matches. The new rule will impose an automatic suspension for five yellow cards, regardless of the 10-match period.
This rule will apply to Ligue 1, Ligue 2, Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions. The LFP stated that this decision was made in reference to "the practices of other leagues" as part of a working group focused on improving the product.
Rule Changes by the IFAB
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has introduced several new rules to the sport.
Handballs
While intentional handballs will still be penalized, the IFAB has clarified the definition of unintentional or accidental handballs. Goals scored with a hand or arm, even unintentionally, will be disallowed. However, hand or arm contact immediately after the ball touches another part of the body will not be penalized.
Goalkeepers on Penalties
Goalkeepers are now prohibited from touching their goalposts, crossbar, or nets to distract the penalty taker.
Substitutions
To prevent time-wasting, substituted players must leave the field quickly at the nearest point on the touchline.
Free Kicks
Players from the attacking team are no longer allowed to stand in the defensive wall to obstruct opponents. They must remain at least one meter away from the wall until the ball is in play.
Goal Kicks
The rules for goal kicks have been changed to promote faster play. The goalkeeper (or any player taking the goal kick) can pass the ball to a teammate inside the penalty area. The ball is in play as soon as it is kicked and clearly moves. Opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.
Dropped Balls
When the referee stops play, the ball will be returned to the team that had possession at the time of the stoppage, eliminating the traditional dropped ball between two opponents.
Misconduct on the Bench
Members of the coaching staff can now be shown yellow or red cards for inappropriate behavior on the bench or in the technical area.
Suspension for Yellow Card Accumulation
The rule that automatically suspends a player after receiving three yellow cards in a 10-match period has been abolished.
Numbering System
Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 players can now wear any number from 2 to 99. Previously, players were restricted to numbers 1-30 unless granted special permission. The number 1 is reserved for goalkeepers.
Equality Between Teams
With the LFP modifying its regulations, two points stand out: the automatic implementation after the accumulation of yellow cards and the possible draw between two teams in the standings. The updated list in case of equality is:
- Difference between goals scored and conceded
- Greater number of points in direct confrontations
- Goal difference in direct confrontations
- Best attack of the season
- Greater number of victories on the season
- Greater number of victories away
- Lowest number of yellow cards (1 pt) and red (3 pts)
Mon Petit Gazon (MPG)
Mon Petit Gazon (MPG) is another popular fantasy football game based on individual player performances in Ligue 1 McDonald's. The game involves managing a team within a mini-league and competing against other players.
The Transfer Market
In League mode, the mission is to prove that you’re the boss.
To start, place it in the transfer market! With 500 million euros, you will have to assemble the most effective team with a minimum of 18 players (2 goalkeepers, 6 defenders, 6 midfielders, 4 attackers). Each manager sets their price for each player targeted in the form of secret auctions. The results are known as soon as everyone has validated their transfer market. The highest bidder gets the player. For the others, it’s only a postponement since the transfer market has at least three rounds to complete its workforce with the Ligue 1 McDonald's players remaining. In the event of a tie on a player, it is the manager who validated his transfer market first who wins the bet.
Generally, there are two schools of thought regarding the transfer market:
- Aim for a tight squad but made up of several players with a high rating - and therefore potentially much more profitable in terms of goals and ratings. The best scorers of Ligue 1 McDonald's, for example, very often start beyond the 100 million euro mark, which strongly affects your budget.
- Aim for a larger squad (25-30 players or even more) made up of some safe values but less popular than the highest rated players in the game.
Each of these techniques can be successful, but it comes with risks. For the first, you have to count on luck on several levels. You will then have to avoid injuries and suspensions to keep a competitive eleven throughout the duration of the league. Still in the case of a player bought at a golden price, if he is seriously injured, your league can take a completely different turn…
Regarding the second, having more players of equivalent level implies more choices to make when composing your eleven. You will then have to have a nose for it when filling out your match sheet. It will also be necessary for the "safe values" players to respond positively, or even outperform slightly, to get involved in the fight for the title.
In both cases, these selections can (must) be accompanied by bets (young "nugget" players, new arrivals, players looking to bounce back, etc.). Less expensive at the start of the season, these choices will mainly depend on your ability to feel the moves. Inexpensive at the start of the championship or after the winter transfer window last season, players such as Hamed Junior Traoré, Andrey Santos, Désiré Doué, Djordje Petrovic or Mika Biereth have made many managers happy.
Formations
The transfer market is finally over, your championship is launched. Each day of Ligue 1 McDonald's, you will face one of the members of your league in an epic duel, with the sole objective of victory. Your mission is simple: compose the eleven that will score the most goals against your opponent, with an effective substitutes' bench ready to take over (7 players including 1 goalkeeper). "Real" goals and "MPG" goals are taken into account (see below).
First of all, you must select your formation from the following choices: 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 5-3-2, 5-4-1. Small specificity: the more defensive the composition, the more the starting defenders benefit from a significant bonus on their rating (substitute defenders who enter do not take a bonus).
- Defense at 3: no bonus on defenders
- Defense at 4: each starting defender gets 0.5 points more on their rating
- Defense at 5: each starting defender gets 1 point more on their rating
Systems with a defense of 3 allow you to line up more offensive players - and therefore potentially collect more goals - but they present a defensive risk with only three defenders without a bonus on their rating to protect the goalkeeper.
Conversely, game plans with 5 defenders protect much better against "MPG" goals with enhanced ratings behind but they limit the choices in front.
Once your formation has been chosen, select your starters and your substitutes from your squad. Then place it in coaching!
Replacements, Beware of Rotaldos
There are two types of coaching in MPG: tactical replacements (by default) and live replacements. For the latter, the option can be activated by the creator of the league in its settings (be careful, impossible to deactivate afterwards). When this is done, for each match in your league, you have the option of choosing one of the two systems. With tactical replacements, everything is frozen from the kick-off of the first match of the day, while live replacements allow you to adjust your line-up throughout the weekend.
Tactical Replacements
Once your 11 starters and your substitutes have been selected, here is how the replacements operate in the first instance. If one of your starters does not play in real life, he will automatically be replaced by the first player in the equivalent position available on your bench who has played. If no substitute in the same position has played, we move on to those of lower position, but with a penalty on the rating (-1 point per position skipped).
If no substitute meets the conditions to return, it is the famous Rotaldo who takes care of it, always there to help out friends but who enters your team with a rating of 2.5 out of 10. To be avoided for two reasons: it considerably lowers the average rating of the line it integrates (defense, midfield or attack) and it can become dangerous if it comes with friends. Each batch of 3 Rotaldos present in your final team will cost you an own goal signed Rotaldo (with a maximum of 3 own goals for 9 Rotaldos or more on the pitch).
This option also offers you the possibility of programming up to 6 tactical changes (does not concern goalkeepers), a way for you to anticipate the potential poor performances of some of your starters. The principle is simple: you indicate that such substitute will come in place of such starter if the latter has a rating of less than so much.
Some clarifications:
- If the starting player concerned by the tactical replacement does not play, he will be replaced by the player you have planned in the tactical change, provided that he has played.
- If the substitute planned in the tactical replacement does not play, the starter who has played will remain in his place, whatever his rating.
- If neither of the two players planned in the change has played, well, no luck. You will have to rely on another player on the bench who has played and is still available to return. Still available because tactical changes take priority over automatic changes. Tactical replacements are therefore carried out first, whether there are players who have not played among your starters or not. The "automatic" replacements are then carried out with the remaining players on the bench. If there is no one left in the end to replace starters who have not played and who are still in your eleven: Rotaldo.
Once your condition is validated (rating below 6 for example), the substitute enters even if he has a rating lower than that of the starter.
If a starter has scored but does not reach the indicated rating, he is still replaced and his goal is therefore no longer counted. Too bad…
You must therefore calculate your move carefully depending on the situation of each player. To allow us to act as a good, forward-thinking shepherd, MPG gives us valuable indications for each player before each day (injured, suspended or uncertain).