With a lacklustre 1-1 draw at Racing Strasbourg on Saturday, Lionel Messi scored as Paris St. Germain won a record-breaking 11th Ligue 1 championship.
PSG now has 85 points, four more than RC Lens, who finished second and earned a spot in the Champions League for the next season – a first for the Sang et Or in 21 years – with a 3-0 thrashing of AC Ajaccio at a scorching Bollaert-Delelis stadium.
“Though nothing was flawless, the players deserve this victory. It always means something to be French champions, according to head coach Christophe Galtier.
“From a personal standpoint, I greatly appreciate it.”
After leading the team for one season, Galtier was asked about his position going forward. He responded: “I've been reading a lot of things here and there, but there is a difference between what's being written and what's happening.”
Olympique de Marseille will place third with 73 points after losing at home to Stade Brestois 2-1.
After defeating relegation-threatened Nantes 2-1 at home thanks to two Jonathan David penalties, Lille is in fourth place with 66 points.
With a 2-0 win against Monaco, who are behind on goal differential with 65 points, Stade Rennais moved up to fifth position, setting up the last round of games to determine who would represent France in the Europa League.
The club that finished in fourth place earned a spot in the Europa League group stage, where they will face Toulouse, the French Cup champions.
Prior to Messi's goal, which he scored in Strasbourg after receiving a ball from Mbappe in the box, PSG were being their normal lacklustre selves.
Strasbourg had opportunities, but they didn't take advantage as they locked up a spot in the elite for the next year.
Troyes, Ajaccio, and Angers have already been demoted, and either AJ Auxerre or Nantes will join them in Ligue 2.
Auxerre will host Lens, and Nantes will trail the Burgundy team by two points before visiting last-place Angers.
With 20 goals, Lois Openda tied Roger Boli for the club's most in the top division and earned Lens a spot in Europe's elite club tournament. Boli had achieved that total in the 1993–94 campaign.
Deiver Machado and Adrien Thomasson had given the hosts the lead in the first half before Openda netted the third goal from the penalty spot.
Belgian striker Openda said, “I'm so happy. It puts me right up there with a club legend.” Lens defender Kevin Danso remarked, “We did it all together, we were so strong at home this season.”
