Research
AI-assisted research organizes football evidence, with performance understood through position, responsibility and competition context.
Independent football mediaThe Game
The game
is global.
The verdict
is yours.
World Football Award gives fans an independent place to recognize the players, teams, matches, moments, and performances that matter most across the global game.
WORLD FOOTBALL AWARD · THE 2027 FAN VOTE
Fans and supportersPerformance and contextCulture and debateTransparent results
The inaugural 2027 edition
The vote comes first.
- Performance assessment
- June 1, 2026–March 31, 2027
- Candidate field freezes
- November 30, 2026
- Fan voting
- December 1, 2026–April 30, 2027
- Awards event
- Las Vegas · July 2027
Campaign and candidate coverage are active in October–November 2026. Voting is currently closed; signup is for announcements.
April gives voters time to consider the completed assessment period. April performances and the season’s final run-in are outside that period. No new candidates are added after the November field freeze. This inaugural edition does not assess the complete 2026–27 season. See the full calendar
WFA / 001Why this exists
The game is global.
The verdict should be too.
Across leagues, clubs, national teams, and football cultures, every fan carries a view of what mattered. World Football Award turns that worldwide conversation into an independent public verdict.
Read our position
Group chats
Watch parties
Street debates
Fan phones
Final whistle arguments
WFA / 002The founding categories
What defined the game?
Eight categories recognize the game in full: individual brilliance, team achievement, leadership, defining moments and the supporters who give football its meaning.
WFA / 003The recognition framework
From football evidence
to the fans’ verdict.
Research builds the case. Human review establishes the field. Confirmed fan choices determine the category result.
Shortlist Review
Human reviewers check sources, eligibility and category fit before the candidate field and criteria are published.
Fan Vote
Fans choose across the men’s and women’s ballots. Email confirmation records the submitted choices; a confirmed replacement does not add an extra vote.
The Verdict
The valid count is reviewed before sign-off, recipient coordination and a published account of the results.
The Game
The players. The stories.
The reason we watch.
Aitana Bonmatí: Her Barcelona Journey and Playing Style
From Barcelona’s B team to decisive European finals, Aitana Bonmatí’s development explains a midfielder who can connect an attack and arrive to finish it.
Read the story
How Morocco Reached the 2022 World Cup Semifinals
Walid Regragui’s team combined a compact midfield shape, direct attacking opportunities and decisive individual contributions on its run to the last four.
Read the story
Erling Haaland’s Playing Style: How He Creates Scoring Chances
Rebounds, runs behind defenders and a cross for a teammate show how Erling Haaland contributes to an attack before the goal is recorded.
Read the story
Football cultureWatch. React. Decide.
Fan Pulse / Question 01
A question for every fan
Who owned the year?
Not the biggest name. The player who changed the meaning of the season.
01 / 04
Explore the stories
01 / Performance
The game leaves evidence.
Impact, consistency, and context inform the shortlist. Fans decide the verdict.
See the method
02 / Football culture
Choose the case. Shape the verdict.
Instinct, memory, rivalry, humor, and lived experience belong in the public decision.
Explore the platformWFA / 004 The World Football Award Community
Your view belongs
in the game.
From the players defining today’s football to the teams, coaches and moments that shaped it, join a global conversation about recognition.
Receive the 2027 shortlist, fan ballot announcement and published results.
Join the WFA Community Founding partnerships