Gone are the days of the Player of the Match being treated to a bottle of champagne after a whirlwind performance, with the Premier League notably opting for a more simple trophy approach.
That trophy looks like it’s been designed and created in a secondary school design and technology classroom, which has admittedly drained the life out of watching a player rip it up for 90 minutes and being rewarded after.
However, those Premier League stars winning a little trophy should be grateful, as we’ve done some digging and pulled together a list of the most bizarre yet brilliant POTM awards one could be awarded.
Trays of eggs
How do you get your protein in after a hard match as a professional footballer? How about four trays of eggs!
Bryne goalkeeper Jan de Boer was named man of the match against Bodo/Glimt, and received four trays of eggs for his troubles.
Goalkeeper Jan de Boer was named Player of the Match in Bryne’s game against Bodo/Glimt in Norway. His prize was four trays of eggs. 🥚#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/eI1iuhbJAw
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 31, 2025
Mobile data
If you’re a terminally online football fan like us, chances are you’ve come across Mamelodi Sundowns at some point. And if you have, it won’t be a surprise to see the South African side make this list.
Hlompho Kekana was awarded Man of the Match for a strong performance with the side some years ago, and received 5gb of mobile data as a prize – in the form of a hilariously large SIM card.
Curry
Support local businesses.
Carlisle United were apparently staunch believers in that for a period of time in 2021, awarding Joe Riley a korma from the local Indian for a Player of the Match display in a 2-1 defeat.
From Manchester United’s academy to this. As you can tell, he was clearly delighted.
Win, lose or draw, Carlisle United award their Man of the Match with a takeaway curry after the game. Joe Riley’s face when he received a Korma after their 2-1 defeat last night has done me. Incredible pic.twitter.com/G8MrLIlXZR
— Jack Kenmare (@jackkenmare_) February 3, 2021
Burger King crown
Imagine putting in a monstrous shift, winning Player of the Match and being made to wear a silly burger king crown in front of the media after the match?
River Plate’s Franco Armani didn’t have to imagine in 2018, because he lived through it. Couldn’t even stretch to a free whopper meal. Scandalous.
River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani won the Man of the Match this week… so had to wear the Burger King crown because it sponsored the award. 😂🍔👑 pic.twitter.com/OwpYgNgPwD
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) March 16, 2018
Sliders
We’d love to bash this one, but being honest, this is a seriously handy gift.
Would play like a man possessed for a pair of new sliders. Sign us up.
A Ghanaian footballer got a pair of sliders as his Man of the Match award pic.twitter.com/PFNOxWXrvE
— FootyEmporium (@EmporiumFooty) November 1, 2022
Crash Bandicoot for PS4
Now this is a prize we can get behind.
No jokes here, just pure jealousy. Exceptional game – we just hope Benrahma actually had a PS4 to make use of it with and not an XBOX. Nightmare if so.
Peak Carabao.
Saïd Benrahma was given a copy of Crash Bandicoot for his Man of the Match performance the other night.
Different…🤷♂️😂 pic.twitter.com/w4m2ny8V6g
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) October 3, 2020
Fish
How do you keep one of the most promising young talents on the planet, currently on loan from Real Madrid, grounded and humble?
When he wins Player of the Month, award him with a big plate of silver hake. Never mind falling in love with a loan player, he was probably desperate to leave after being given this.
Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard wins a silver hake fish during his Real Sociedad days pic.twitter.com/XS9xADFqqi
— Dreadful man of the match awards 🏆 (@WorstPrizesEver) August 26, 2022
Pizza
Being awarded a pizza as a footballer to reward your performances is bad enough, but Partick Thistle’s decision to award Connor Sammon with the most greasy takeaway at 4am after a night out pizza was rather hilarious.
Seriously. Wouldn’t touch that with a barge pole. Wonder how Sammon felt about it, though – can’t quite tell from his facial expression.
On Connor Sammon’s birthday, a reminder of the time he won a pizza as a MOTM award… and absolutely fucking loved it. pic.twitter.com/69sTGEv8Cm
— A Funny Old Game (@sid_lambert) November 6, 2021
Live hen
This probably broke several animal welfare laws.
We’d imagine the hen was only given to the player so that he could enjoy eggs and nothing more. We hope so, anyway.
#Flashback
Man of the match in I liga Poland,
Gornik Zabrze fc was presented with a live hen😂. pic.twitter.com/4swSGDGxl0
— AngelTV Ghana (@Angeltv_Gh) September 11, 2021
Engine oil
Just sold my car, to the Sudan Premier League.
Literally, because whenever someone wins Player of the Match, they get a handy jug of engine oil to keep up the service history.
In the Sudanese Premier League the Man of the Match reward is an engine oil jug. 😭😂😭 pic.twitter.com/iw3mhYtnyl
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) September 7, 2021
Crate of beers
Incredibly Sunday league, this.
Don’t drink them all at once – unless you’re sharing them with the gaffer at pre-drinks.
A football player from Zimbabwe got given 24 beers as his Man of the Match award pic.twitter.com/UROWhLyqEL
— FootyEmporium (@EmporiumFooty) November 1, 2022
Jaffa cakes and crisps
Finishing back in England, Zac Williams was only 17 in 2021 when he was awarded Player of the Match.
Champagne? Of course not. Lemonade alternative? Nope. Two-thirds of a meal deal? Yep, that’ll do.
Zac Williams, Crewe’s MOTM is only 17. So instead of a bottle of Champagne he received a pack of crisps and Jaffa Cakes 😅 pic.twitter.com/R5S39jwCwA
— The72 – We Love the #EFL (@_The72) November 20, 2021
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