Man of the Match: Football's strangest player awards remembered

From Carling champagne to the Barclays match ball all the way back to the more-traditional trophy, the prize awarded to the Man of the Match in Premier League matches has taken various forms over the years.

None, though, have been particularly outlandish.

The same can’t be said for other competitions around the world, however, with recipients seeing their individual achievements marked in truly unique ways.

Whether it’s as recognition for a Man of the Match performance, Player of the Month consistency or any other accolade that rewards impressive form, some of these bizarre awards genuinely have us scratching our heads.

Here a some of the weirdest examples we’ve found across the globe.

Champagne might have been binned as a Man of the Match prize in the Premier League, but alcohol is still handed out in other countries – and in quite substantial quantities, too.

The Zimbabwean Premier League, sponsored by Castle Lager, has been known to mark Man of the Match performances by gifting a full crate of beers.

Hardly, the most suitable prize for a professional athlete. Surely, a four-pack (at most) would have done the job.

As much as we’ve no doubt that Kaiser Chiefs midfielder appreciated the 2,000 South African Rand that he received from sponsors ABSA bank as a Man of the Match reward in April 2014, we’re still not clear as to why the novelty credit card he was presented with had to be quite so large.

Getting this thing home would be a challenge in itself – and paying for anything via contactless would be at least a two-person job!

During his final season at Brentford, West Ham’s Said Benrahma produced a solo masterclass to knock Fulham out of the Carabao Cup. On this occasion, the Man of the Match nod did net him a small