Cast your vote for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026

The BBC is now asking football fans across the UK to choose the Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026, launching voting for its annual award with five players on the shortlist. The poll is part of a wider push to celebrate the best of women’s football, as the game continues to grow in popularity and attention around the country. Fans can cast their vote online for the player they believe has had the most impact this year, with the winner named at the end of the voting period. The award has become a familiar moment for supporters, who use it to recognise the players who stood out across the season.

Who is in the running

The shortlist for the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026 contains five players, five candidates from across the women’s game vying for the public’s verdict. The BBC describes the award as a chance for supporters to recognise the players who have stood out, whether through goals, defence, leadership or overall quality. The contenders come from across the women’s game, reflecting the breadth of the sport, and fans will be able to weigh them up as the polling opens. Each of the five has had a strong year, and the shortlist was drawn up to give the vote a fair spread of the best performers. Fans voting will be asked to pick the name they feel captured the spirit of the women’s game this year, with the final list drawn from the most promising and consistent performers across the season. The broadcaster has said the shortlist reflects the breadth of the domestic women’s game, from the highest-division clubs down to the community sides that keep the game going at a local level.

Why it matters

As women’s football continues to grow in popularity and attention around the country, awards such as this play a part in keeping the best players in the public eye and in encouraging new fans to follow the game. The BBC’s annual poll has become a familiar fixture for supporters, and it gives fans a direct say in recognising the season’s standout performances. The winner will be named once the voting closes, and the shortlisted players will each have a claim to having delivered one of the best individual campaigns in the women’s game this year. For the clubs and regions those players represent, the recognition is a chance to shine on a national stage.

What happens next

Voting is now open, and the winner will be announced once the poll closes. Fans can take part online through the BBC’s website, and the shortlisted players will be assessed by readers who follow the women’s game closely. The result will be watched by the five contenders and their clubs, and will add to the year’s tally of individual honours in English women’s football. The broadcaster is encouraging supporters to take part and to help choose the standout player of the year. The winner will be named when the voting ends, and the announcement will be made through the BBC’s channels. The BBC will publish the winner once the poll has closed and the results are counted, reporting the outcome through its sport channels. Fans can no longer add to the ballot once the voting has closed, and the final ranking will be confirmed on the BBC’s website.