The WFS Awards 2026 are here — and this edition brings some of the most significant changes since the programme launched in 2017.
Two categories have been updated. Best Venue becomes Best Stadium Experience — a recognition that goes beyond infrastructure to celebrate the full matchday experience, combining atmosphere, innovation and accessibility. Best Women’s Football Initiative becomes Best Gender Equality Initiative — because advancing equality in football is not a conversation limited to the women’s game. It concerns access, representation and opportunity across the entire industry.
Two new categories join the programme for the first time:
- WFS Award for Best Fan-Centric Initiative, presented by Goodform by YouFirst, recognises the initiative that has genuinely placed fans at the heart of the organisation — not as an audience, but as an integral part of the game.
- WFS Award for a Career Honouring the Essence of the Game, presented by Senn Ferrero, recognises the football professional — player, coach, manager or executive — whose career has exemplified excellence while upholding the values and integrity that define what football is truly about.
What are the WFS Awards?
Created in 2017, the WFS Awards recognise the professionals and organisations whose work advances the football industry beyond the pitch — the executives, institutions, innovators and initiatives whose contribution to the game shapes everything behind the scenes. Past honourees include Aleksander Čeferin, Ferran Soriano, Fernando Carro, Giorgio Chiellini, Marcus Rashford, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Coca-Cola, the Bundesliga, DAZN and Atlético de Madrid, among others.
The full list of categories
- A Career Honouring the Essence of the Game presented by Senn Ferrero
- Best Digital Transformation Initiative presented by N3xt Sports
- Best Executive presented by Excel Search & Advisory
- Best Fan-Centric Initiative presented by Goodform by YouFirst
- Best Gender Equality Initiative presented by Women in Football
- Best Growth Strategy presented by Deloitte
- Best Stadium Experience presented by Stadium DB
- Eli Wolff Football Without Limits presented by Integrated Dreams
- Football for Good presented by Common Goal
- Most Innovative Supplier presented by SportsTechX
- Woman in Leadership presented by Women in Soccer
How to apply
Applications are now open. The deadline is 30 June 2026. Finalists will be announced in August, with the Awards ceremony taking place on 15 September at WFS Madrid 2026.
