The Principality side won a seventh straight Ligue 1 game and increased its unbeaten run to 10 league matches.

The win lifted Monaco level on points with fourth-placed Marseille and just one point behind third-placed Lille.

Balogun, who has scored eight goals in his last eight games for Monaco in all competitions, made it 2-0 in the 74th minute when he finished a move sparked by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky’s clearance. The American then dribbled into the box and chipped a subtle lob into the far corner.

Aleksandr Golovin had put Monaco in front near the hour mark. Amine Gouiri pulled one back for Marseille in the 85th minute.

The visitors, who played without the suspended Mason Greenwood, pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing stages but Hradecky denied an attempt from Facundo Medina with a fine reflex save and Jordan Teze cleared an effort from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang off the line.

Sprint royalty

Usain Bolt, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist, was at the Louis II stadium and took part in a ceremonial kickoff.

Now retired, the fastest man in the world has good memories from the Monaco track, having previously won the 100 meters at the Herculis track and field meeting.

Lyon’s winless run

Lyon’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League were further dented after a 0-0 draw at Angers, extending its winless run in all competitions to nine matches.

Looking for a first win since mid-February, Paulo Fonseca’s players were devoid of ideas in a match that offered few chances for both teams.

Lyon has a tough schedule ahead with matches against leader Paris Saint-Germain and second-placed Lens in its remaining six Ligue 1 games. The seven-time champions are currently sixth, two points behind Lille.

The top three in France qualify directly for the Champions League while the fourth-placed team goes through qualifying.

“We had to win today. The race for the Champions League is more difficult now, but we are not giving up,” Fonseca said.

On Friday, defending champion PSG increased its lead over Lens to four points by beating Toulouse 3-1. PSG has one match in hand.

Lens endured an off night on Saturday and was well beaten by northern rival Lille 3-0.

Lorient was unable to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a win after being held 1-1 at home by Paris FC. Bamba Dieng put the hosts in the lead with his eighth Ligue 1 goal this season. Marshall Munetsi equalized in the 74th.

Le Havre and Auxerre drew 1-1.

Last-placed Metz and last-but-one Nantes drew 0-0.

Lens has rejected moving the April 11 home fixture, saying the French league would be relegated “to accommodate the European ambitions of certain parties.”

A decision by the French league is expected on Thursday. The league has previously helped its teams in European competitions.

Two years ago, for example, Marseille’s game against Nice was postponed due to Marseille’s Europa League quarterfinal against Benfica. At that time, France had three teams in European competition — PSG and Lille were the others — and Marseille’s then-president Pablo Longoria thanked the league for showing consideration to the French teams involved.

Ligue 1 is enjoying a close title race. Lens sits one point behind PSG having played one game more.

Their showdown is a thorn for Champions League defending champion PSG, which is scheduled to host Liverpool three days beforehand, and play the return leg at Anfield three days afterward.

The French league previously postponed PSG’s home match against Nantes — the game in hand it has on Lens — because it fell between the two last-16 ties against Chelsea. A rested PSG routed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate.

But while Nantes agreed to reschedule, Lens sees things far differently.

“It appears to us that a worrying sentiment is taking hold: that of a French league gradually being relegated to the status of a mere variable to accommodate the European ambitions of certain parties,” Lens said in a statement posted on X. “This is a peculiar conception of sporting fairness, one that is difficult to find parallels with in other major continental competitions.”

PSG was keen to point out that French clubs going far in European competition benefits French soccer as a whole with regard to the nation’s position in the UEFA coefficient rankings. UEFA calculates the coefficient based on results in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

England sent a record six teams into the Champions League this season due to a huge coefficient ranking. France qualified three teams directly, and Nice failed to get through qualifying for the fourth potential spot.

Exposed to hectic schedule

Lens argued that it has the 10th biggest budget in Ligue 1— way behind PSG’s colossal spending power — and its smaller squad would be exposed to a hectic schedule. Lens is also playing in the French Cup semifinals on April 21.

“Changing the date of this match today would mean that Lens would be deprived of competition for 15 days, followed by matches every three days,” Lens said. “A schedule that corresponds neither to the one established at the start of the season, nor to the resources of a club that could absorb this type of new constraint without consequence.”

Lens will play three games in eight days during a tough period from April 17-24, facing Toulouse in Ligue 1 and in the French Cup semifinals then at Brest on April 24. That game is scheduled on a Friday rather than over the weekend, which would have afforded Lens more rest.

Lens won its only French title in 1998 compared to a record 13 championships for PSG, which sealed last season’s trophy with ease. PSG lost only twice and those defeats came after the title was sealed.

“Beyond this specific case the question raised is more fundamental: that of the respect due to the competition itself,” Lens added. “It is legitimate to question this when, on its own soil, the league sometimes seems relegated behind other ambitions.”

But another factor could weigh against Lens.

Strasbourg reportedly wants its league game at Brest on April 12 rearranged because it falls between its Conference League quarterfinal against German club Mainz.

The nine-time French champions and 1993 Champions League winners said in a statement they have reached an agreement on the terms of Longoria’s departure.

Longoria arrived at the club in 2020 in a sporting director role and was appointed president less than a year later after groups of angry supporters raided the club’s training complex, in protest against then-president Jacques-Henri Eyraud.

Under his presidency, Marseille reached the semifinals of the Europa Conference League in 2022 and the Europa League in 2024. But Marseille failed to perform in the Champions League and did not win a single title.

Longoria was moved aside last month after the departure of coach Roberto De Zerbi, with Alban Juster succeeding him on an interim basis.

Marseille thanked “Longoria’s commitment, passion, and the work he has accomplished over the past six years in service of the club.”

Longoria initially enjoyed strong support from Marseille fans as he secured several major signings and appointed high-profile coaches such as Jorge Sampaoli and Gennaro Gattuso.

However, since American investor Frank McCourt bought Marseille in 2016, the southern club has struggled to achieve stability, something Longoria proved unable to deliver.

Marseille dominated domestic soccer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the only French team to win the Champions League before PSG claimed the trophy last year. Marseille hasn’t won the French league title since 2010 and has not claimed a trophy since the now-defunct League Cup in 2012.

Now coached by Habib Beye, Marseille lost 2-1 at home to Lille over the weekend and sits 11 points behind leader PSG in third place.

The 38-year-old announced his retirement on Sunday. He was out of contract after finishing a spell with Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. It was perhaps fitting that Payet’s career should end in Brazil, whose soccer-loving fans appreciate the type of skill and intricacy he was capable of.

“On the eve of my 39th birthday, I officially announce I’m retiring as a professional footballer,” Payet told French broadcaster Ligue 1. “I would like to thank everyone who shared these 20 years with me, it was something really exceptional.”

Payet grew up on the French Indian Ocean island of Réunion and moved to France to join Le Havre’s youth academy in 1999. After returning briefly to start his career with Réunion-based side Excelsior, he made his name in the French league as a goal-scoring midfielder with Nantes, Saint-Étienne, Lille and Marseille.

Despite being criticized for a perceived lack of work rate, his goals, slick passing and vision earned him a move to the Premier League with West Ham, where he enjoyed a good spell and scored dazzling free kicks against Bournemouth, Manchester United and Crystal Palace. West Ham fans took to him quickly and invented a song in his honor, comparing him with France great Zinedine Zidane.

While such comparisons were an exaggeration, Payet carried his form over into the national team and enjoyed his best year in 2016 when he played for Les Bleus at the European Championship in France.

He scored seven of his eight goals for France that year, including an astonishing free kick against Russia from 35 meters, hit with incredible bend and late dip into the top left corner, that left coach Didier Deschamps open-mouthed.

Payet’s form saw him linked with a move to Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, but he moved back to Marseille and enjoyed several productive seasons at the southern club before leaving in 2023 to join Rio-based Vasco.

He scored more than 150 goals in his career, 78 of them for Marseille. He played 38 times for France, finishing runner-up at Euro 2016, where he scored three goals.

“I come from an island and my dream was to become a pro. I managed to do it and to play for the national team,” Payet said. “It’s the end of a great adventure.”

More from Sportsnet

Substitute Emersonn grabs late winner for Toulouse vs. Lorient in Ligue 1

Ligue 1 Roundup: Lyon keeps winless streak alive at Le Havre

The Brazilian forward cut inside the penalty area, beat two defenders and fired in off the underside of the crossbar. The win moved Toulouse up to ninth place.

Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes needed brief treatment in stoppage time after receiving a powerful shot from Arsène Kouassi full in the face. He was able to continue.

Emersonn almost scored a second goal with another solo effort deep into added time.

Players from both sides had pictograms of different disabilities on their jerseys instead of their names as part of a disability awareness campaign aimed at providing better facilities in soccer stadiums for those with disabilities.

The game featured an accessible shuttle service; an audio description service; visual help devices, and spaces specifically designed for sensory and autistic disability. There were also introductory sessions about blind soccer and wheelchair rugby, which both featured at the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024.

Later Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain needed to win at 15th-placed Nice to reclaim top spot from Lens, which crushed Angers 5-1 on Friday. Auxerre hosted Brest in the other game.

PSG was without right back Achraf Hakimi through suspension while winger Bradley Barcola sustained an ankle injury this week against Chelsea and midfielder João Neves was rested.

Despite playing a man down from the 56th minute, the hosts were the better team in the 0-0 draw and Lyon now lags two points behind third-place Marseille in the Ligue 1 standings.

Stephan Zagadou received a straight red card after fouling Endrick. Le Havre, which moved 10 points away from the automatic relegation spots, hit the woodwork twice.

Marseille won 1-0 against struggler Auxerre on Friday.

Second-place Lens lost 2-1 at Lorient on Saturday, missing the chance to move back to the top of the standings.

Paris Saint-Germain, which did not play this weekend, has a one-point lead at the top and a match in hand. Nantes agreed to postpone their scheduled game on Sunday in order to give PSG more time to prepare for the Champions League second leg against Chelsea. PSG is leading 5-2 from the last-16 first leg.

Elsewhere, Mario Sauer scored the winner deep in added time as Toulouse heaped more misery on Metz.

Sauer’s goal sealed Toulouse’s 4-3 win and extended last-place Metz’s winless run to a 14th match.

“It was a crazy game,” Sauer said. “We deserved it today, and this win was so important for us.”

Paris FC drew 0-0 at Strasbourg.

Supporters clash

Two groups of supporters of Rennes and Lille clashed Saturday night ahead of Sunday’s match.

Radio France reported that police used tear gas and that one fan was injured. Between 100 and 150 people were involved in the fight.

PSG’s 3-1 home defeat to Monaco on Friday opened the door for rival Lens, which reached the French Cup semifinals on Thursday after beating Lyon on penalties following a 2-2 draw.

There are nine rounds of games left in Ligue 1 and Lens hosts PSG on April 11.

Rock-bottom Metz rode its luck until Saudi Arabian defender Saud Abdulhamid put Lens ahead just before halftime with a powerful half-volley following good work from striker Abdallah Sima, who had twice gone close to scoring.

Abdulhamid then combined with Adrien Thomasson to set up France winger Florian Thauvin for a neat finish from the edge of the penalty area just after the break.

Midfielder Amadou Haidara made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute after playing a one-two with former Metz captain Matthieu Udol as Lens took control. Udol was born in Metz and made 185 appearances at left back before forcing a move this summer.

Lyon stumbles

After its 13-game winning streak in all competitions ended last month, fourth-place Lyon needed a stoppage-time penalty from captain Corentin Tolisso to scrape a 1-1 home draw with Paris FC and is now winless in four games overall.

Paris FC almost secured a second consecutive win under new coach Antoine Kombouaré.

Having scored against Nice in Kombouaré’s first game, Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi netted in the 62nd. But Lyon got a penalty for handball following a video review.

Lyon trails third-place Marseille on goal difference.

Rennes wins again

Hiring Franck Haise as coach has proved a good decision so far for Rennes, which won 4-0 at Nice to move into fifth place.

It was a third straight win for Haise without conceding a goal and came against the club he left earlier this season amid high tensions between players and supporters. Nice fans gave Haise a hostile welcome.

After striker Esteban Lepaul grabbed his 13th league goal, midfielder Sebastian Szymanski made it 2-0 midway through the first half. Rennes showed its strength in depth with Ludovic Blas and Nordan Mukiele coming on to score second-half goals.

Rennes is two points ahead of sixth-place Lille, which was without injured striker Olivier Giroud in its 1-1 draw at home to Lorient. Arthur Avom equalized for Lorient in the third minute of stoppage time with a brilliant dipping strike from 25 meters.

Midtable Brest won 2-0 at home against Le Havre with goals from winger Romain Del Castillo and striker Ludovic Ajorque.

Thauvin presses his case

Thauvin scored one goal on Thursday, set up the other and then netted with the decisive kick in the French Cup penalty shootout against Lyon.

The 33-year-old Thauvin joined from Italian side Udinese this season. He was a fringe player in the France team when it won the 2018 World Cup and then had a long spell out.

But Thauvin’s fine form with Lens helped him break back into the national team and he scored against Azerbaijan last October. He is pushing for a place in coach Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad later this year.

Lens is second in Ligue 1 — just four points behind Paris Saint-Germain — and survived a fightback by Lyon, having led 2-0 at halftime at Groupama Stadium to draw 2-2.

Lyon forced the game to penalties with an equalizer from Remi Himbert in the fourth minute of added time after Lens had gone down to 10 men following Arthur Masuaku’s red card.

Florian Thauvin scored the decisive penalty as Lens won the shootout 5-4 after Moussa Niakhate had seen an earlier effort saved.

Lens coach Pierre Sage had led Lyon to the French Cup final two years ago and is within one match of repeating that feat.

Thauvin fired Lens ahead after 23 minutes and Abdallah Sima doubled the lead in the first minute of first-half added time.

But Masuaku’s red in the 64th proved a turning point.

Lyon scored through Roman Yaremchuk three minutes later to give the home team hope before its late equalizer.

With the clock running down, the 36-year-old Aubameyang equalized in the 81st minute with an opportunistic low finish from winger Igor Paixão’s looping pass and then slid in Ethan Nwaneri’s left-wing cross.

It was a second straight defeat for third-place Lyon, which saw its 13-game winning run come to an end last weekend and is only two points ahead of fourth-place Marseille with 10 games left.

Newly appointed Marseille coach Habib Beye, who played for the club as a right back from 2003-07, would not have been impressed as his side carelessly lost the ball on the left flank and fell behind in the third minute.

Lyon’s teenage Brazil star Endrick expertly helped the ball on, and midfielder Corentin Tolisso clipped a fine shot past goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli from 10 meters out.

Endrick almost made it 2-0 moments later with an overhead kick and needed treatment after hitting the right side of his head when he landed. He then bamboozled the defence with remarkable close control, only to shoot over.

Marseille then missed several chances to score as Mason Greenwood failed to make the most of some great positions.

Thudding challenges flew in during the first half, which produced eight minutes of stoppage time because of the fouls.

Moments after Tolisso had a goal ruled out for offside, Brazilian winger Paixão equalized in the 52nd with a brilliant curler from the left edge of the penalty area into the top right corner.

There was more drama to come as 18-year-old Lyon winger Rémi Himbert netted his first career goal in the 76th.

But Aubameyang, who made his name with prolific spells at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, had the last word as Stade Velodrome erupted in joy and disbelief.

Kombouaré up and running

Veteran coach Antoine Kombouaré got off to a winning start with his latest club as Paris FC picked up a much-needed 1-0 home win against Nice.

The 62-year-old former defender is at his 10th club as a coach. Four years ago, he saved Nantes from relegation and won the French Cup.

Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi scored midway through the first half for Paris FC to move up to 14th place. Nice dropped to 15th.

“The victory is beautiful because it was built on suffering and pain. Nice caused us a lot of problems; we were sometimes on the limit, but we didn’t crack,” Kombouaré said. “This match was about recovery, about redemption, about fightback.”

Paris FC has tough away trips next at Lyon and Strasbourg.

Veteran striker Ciro Immobile, the Italian league’s multiple top scorer, is still seeking his first goal for Paris FC after joining during the winter transfer window.

Ngoy does it again

Three days after scoring the decisive goal in extra time to qualify Lille for the last 16 of the Europa League, defender Nathan Ngoy grabbed a stoppage-time winner as Lille beat struggling Nantes 1-0 to stay in fifth place. Nantes is 17th.

After a corner from the right was helped on three minutes into added time, Belgian defender Ngoy controlled the ball before shooting past goalkeeper Anthony Lopes for the first French league goal of his Lille career.

Protests before a defeat

Rock-bottom Metz lost 1-0 at home to Brest, which had left back Daouda Guindo sent off midway through the first half. Imposing striker Ludovic Ajorque grabbed the winner.

With Metz staring relegation in the face, the club’s two main Ultras groups — Horda Frénétik and Gruppa Metz — held a protest march before the game.

Dieng at the double

Senegal striker Bamba Dieng scored twice as Lorient twice came from behind in a 2-2 home draw with Auxerre. Defender Marvin Senaya scored in the first minute and Haiti forward Josué Casimir got the other Auxerre goal.

The 34-year-old Argentina star spoke at his introductory news conference at Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday, the morning after signing a two-year deal with the option for a third season after leaving Barcelona.

“My goal and dream is to raise another Champion’s (League Trophy) and I believe that I am in the right place to have the best chances to achieve that,” Messi said.

“When you see this squad, you really want to play with them because there are so many possibilities,” he added. “We have the same goal. And Neymar of course did a lot and was important for my choice.”

Qatari-backed PSG has been desperate to win the Champions League, falling just short when it lost the 2020 final to Bayern Munich. Messi helped Barcelona win four Champions League trophies.

Messi’s arrival gives PSG formidable attacking options as he links up with not only Neymar — his former teammate at Barcelona — but also France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe.

“I’m going to play with best players, it’s very nice, it’s incredible to be able to experience this,” said Messi, who also cited Argentina teammates and PSG players Angel di Maria and Leandro Paredes.

“Obviously, one of the reasons (I came) was the locker room: Neymar, Di Maria, Paredes, whom I know.”

Messi said he is “ready” to start playing with PSG, which hosts Strasbourg on Saturday night.

“When I feel it, when the staff thinks I’m ok, I’ll be ready. I’m willing to play,” he said.

Messi became the most high-profile free agent in soccer history after his attempts to stay at Barcelona were rejected last week by the Spanish league because the salary would not comply with financial regulations, with the Catalan club burdened by debts of more than 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

PSG moved quickly to sign the Argentina star. The team, Messi said, “positioned themselves and everything went really fast and it was easy. It happened in little time. It was a difficult situation and they were efficient.”

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino quickly made contact with his fellow Argentine after Barcelona announced last Thursday that Messi would be leaving the club he joined as a 13-year-old boy.

Messi won every major honor with Barcelona and was granted a tearful exit news conference on Sunday to signal the end of an era. Only Cristiano Ronaldo in the current era challenges Messi’s status as an all-time great.

While PSG had to pay 222 million euros (then $261 million) to sign Neymar from Barcelona in 2017, there was no transfer fee for Messi.

No salary details were given, but a person with knowledge of the negotiations earlier told The Associated Press that Messi is set to earn around 35 million euros ($41 million) net annually. The person said on condition of anonymity before the contract was signed.

PSG will be hoping not only that Messi helps the team regain the French title it lost to Lille last season but finally win the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi praised “a historic day for the club, football world and it is a fantastic moment for us.”

“Everybody knows Leo… He makes the football magic, beautiful and he’s a winner. It will be very exciting for our supporters and the fans worldwide,” he added. ”We have big ambition.”

Messi said it was “very hard” to leave Barcelona after so many years but added “the moment I arrived here I felt very happy.”

PSG supporters have seen their club transformed over the last decade since the influx of Qatari sovereign wealth investment linked to the emir. Once Messi’s Barcelona contract expired — and the Catalan club was unable to afford to keep him — PSG was one of the few clubs that could finance a deal to sign the six-time world player of the year.

Messi will wear the No. 30 jersey — the same number he wore in his first two seasons with Barcelona before switching to No. 19 and then the prized No. 10, which Neymar gets to keep at PSG.

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