Trophées UNFP: Who are this year's nominees?
The nominees for the 2026 Trophées UNFP were announced last night -- catch up on which Ligue 1 McDonald's players are in the running for these end-of-the year awards.
Player of the Year
A year on from a ceremony in which treble-winning Paris Saint-Germain dominated the honors, with Ousmane Dembél´e taking home the biggest prize on offer, the capital side is once again well-represented in this category. Dembélé, who has been one of the league's form players in 2026 after shaking off an injury that dogged him in the first half of the campaign, has been joined by Portuguese internationals Vitinha and Nuno Mendes. The Parisian trio are on the shortlist in the company of Florian Thauvin, who has rolled back the years with ten goals and five assists to power Lens to second place, and Mason Greenwood, the prolific Olympique de Marseille winger.
Young Player of the Year
Paris Saint-Germain, leaders and impressive throughout the season despite a tough run of injuries, are also well-represented in the Young Player of the Year category, with three nominees, including the last two winners of the award in French midfielders Warren Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué. The former continues to improve by showcasing his versatility and workrate -- he sometimes even fills in at right back in the absence of Achraf Hakimi, while Doué has gone from strength to strength with 11 goals and seven assists across all competitions. João Neves, meanwhile, has been a metronomic presence in midfield for the capital side, and his nomination is richly rewarded. The three are joined by Strasbourg midfielder Valentín Barco, who strong play has seen become a regular for his country, and Lille's teenage prodigy, Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Goalkeeper of the Year
A year on from Lucas Chevalier's win, four new faces have made the shortlist for Goalkeeper of the Year, with only Brice Samba -- the winner in 2023 -- having been previously nominated. This includes a pair of shotstoppers with connections to Strasbourg -- former academy product Robin Risser, now with RC Lens, and Mike Penders, who currently plays for the Alsatians on loan from Chelsea. The three are joined in the final five by Dominik Greif, who has backstopped Lyon to the division's third-best defence, and Angers' Hervé Koffi, who has impressed in making 110 saves, more than a dozen ahead of Penders, his closest competition.
Coach of the Year
Finally, a year on from Luis Enrique's deserved honor with Paris Saint-Germain, the Spaniard has been joined by the other three managers who are in charge of sides currently in the top four: Pierre Sage (RC Lens), Paulo Fonseca (Lyon) and Bruno Génésio (Lille). Each have dealt with plenty of adversity, be it injuries, fighting on multiple fronts, or the departure of key players, and have nonetheless steered their teams to success. They are joined by Olivier Pantaloni, who has led his lightly regarded FC Lorient side to a comfortable midtable position thanks to one of the division's best home records.
