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With the headline arrivals of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos to French Ligue 1 giants PSG, the French first division is set to acquire massive international viewership. It will also be on a stronger financial footing. Surely, Ligue 1 is one of the hottest leagues at the moment with quite a few stars joining it this season.
Ligue 1 has for long been a massive breeding ground for extraordinary youth prospects whom English, Spanish and German sides have tapped repeatedly. This has made it a feeder league of sorts.
However, credit is due to the players who have been serving in the league for a long time. They have made the league what it is today. Their work ethic has also ensured that these players have not been relegated even once across from the top division.
On that note, let's take a look at the:
Top 5 longest-serving players in Ligue 1 at the moment
#5 Presnel Kimpembe (6 years at PSG)
Kimpembe has come through Paris Saint-Germain's elite academy to become one of the club's longest serving players. His is is one of the first names on the PSG team sheet. Kimpembe is a mainstay at the heart of their defense at only 26 years of age and is also a World Cup-winning centre-back for the French national team.
In his six years at the club, Presnel Kimpembe has also played under some remarkable managers, including Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel and presently, Mauricio Pochettino.
Presnel Kimpembe is a five-time French champion, a five-time French Cup winner and a four-time French League Cup winner (15/16, 16/17, 17/18, 19/20).
#4 Marquinhos (7 years at PSG)
Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos is a solid Brazilian center-back whom the club acquired from Italian side AS Roma back in 2013. A fee of around €31.4 million was enough to make him the fifth most expensive defender at the time. Marquinhos has enjoyed immense success during his eight-year stay at PSG in the French Ligue 1.
He is a six-time French Champion, a six-time French Cup winner and a six-time French League Cup Winner for PSG.
#3 Romain Hamouma (9 years at Saint-Etienne)
Romain Hamouma is a 34-year-old French forward who plays for French Ligue 1 side AS Saint-Étienne. Hamouma has made over 200 Ligue 1 appearances for the club during a nine-year spell.
And counting, as he recently put pen to paper on a contract extension deal that would keep him at the club for a further year.
#2 Marco Verratti (nine years at PSG)
A winner of the recently concluded UEFA European Football Championship 2020 with the Italian national football team, Marco Verratti is one of the best defensive midfielders around.
Verratti was signed by Carlo Ancelotti for Paris Saint-Germain back in 2012 and has made 225 appearances for the club in the league. He has been with the club for an illustrious nine seasons.
Marco Verratti is a seven-time French Champion, a six-time French Cup winner and a six-time French League Cup winner.
#1 Anthony Lopes (10 years)
Anthony Lopes is a Portuguese goalkeeper plying his trade with French giants Olympique Lyonnais. He has made 284 appearances for Lyon in Ligue 1 during a 10-year stay at the club which is set to continue.
Lopes is a European Champion with his national side Portugal in 2016 and the winner of the 11/12 French Cup with Olympique Lyonnais. He came through the ranks at Lyon through the second team and has kept 100 clean sheets for the club.
