Home / Sports / SPOTY Adds Global Footballer of Year Awards
SPOTY Adds Global Footballer of Year Awards
9 Nov
Summary
- Two new football awards to be added to SPOTY in 2026.
- Men's award voted on by UK audiences; women's award global.
- Winners revealed on December 13 during the awards show.
For 2026, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) program will feature two new football-specific awards: Men's Footballer of the Year and Women's Footballer of the Year. These awards aim to rival existing international accolades by allowing public input.
The Men's Footballer of the Year award will be decided by voters within the United Kingdom. In contrast, the Women's Footballer of the Year award will retain its global voting mechanism, building on its history as a BBC World Service award since 2015.
This significant revamp means five of the nine awards presented on the night will be determined by public vote. The winners of these new football accolades, alongside other public-voted awards like World Sport Star of the Year, Team of the Year, and the main Sports Personality of the Year, will be revealed on December 13. The star-studded show will be broadcast live from Salford.
