News Focus
- Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha wins major award after dominant campaign
- Young Lyon winger Afonso Moreira named breakthrough star of the season
- RC Lens boss Pierre Sage honoured for guiding club to unlikely title challenge
- Mamadou Sangaré receives Marc-Vivien Foé Award as Ligue 1’s best African player
- Michael Olise recognised as best Frenchman abroad following stellar Bayern Munich season
Get French Football News has revealed the winners of its 2026 annual awards. The results come from a voting system that split opinions equally between football supporters and the GFFN editorial team.
Portuguese midfielder Vitinha has claimed a major prize after guiding Paris Saint-Germain through another successful campaign. The 26-year-old has been the engine in the centre of the park for the Parisians. He played every single minute of their Champions League journey until a heel problem struck in late April. The injury forced him to sit out three domestic matches.
Vitinha has served as vice-captain throughout the season. He often wore the armband when Marquinhos was absent. Many expect him to become the permanent captain once the Brazilian defender departs. His influence shows in the statistics. He has spent more than double the time on the pitch compared to teammates like Ousmane Dembélé and Marquinhos. Most of his seven goals have come in European competition. He scored a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur in November.
At Olympique Lyonnais, young winger Afonso Moreira has captured the imagination of fans. The club signed him during a difficult financial period. He stepped in for the injured Malick Fofana on the left wing and never looked back. The Sporting CP graduate has recorded eight goals and provided eleven assists across thirty-six matches. His displays have convinced the club to offer a contract extension until 2030.
RC Lens manager Pierre Sage has received recognition for his remarkable work. He rescued Lyon from relegation trouble last season before moving to Lens. Most experts predicted a difficult year for Les Sang et Or after they sold key players. Instead, Sage has pushed them into a title challenge against PSG. He has also guided them to the Coupe de France final. They will face OGC Nice with a chance to win their first major trophy in decades.
Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangaré has won the Marc-Vivien Foé Award. This prize goes to the best African footballer in Ligue 1 each year. The Malian international joined from Rapid Vienna last summer. He has started twenty-nine of thirty-one matches. He has found the net three times and set up four goals. His name now sits alongside previous winners such as Didier Drogba, Achraf Hakimi and Victor Osimhen.
The season has proved challenging for goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier. The France international moved from Lille OSC to PSG for fifty-five million euros. He began well and helped the club win the UEFA Super Cup. However, manager Luis Enrique dropped him in January. Russian keeper Matvey Safonov has played every match since. Chevalier has not featured since the twenty-third of January. Didier Deschamps has also left him out of the France squad for the upcoming World Cup.
Michael Olise has been named the best French player performing outside his home country. The winger has been outstanding for Bayern Munich in Germany. He has scored fifteen goals and created nineteen more in just thirty-one Bundesliga matches. He has added four goals and six assists in the Champions League. Former France coach Thierry Henry has praised the London-born star. Henry noted that Olise sees passes and opportunities that other players miss completely.