Yesterday, Sofascore hosted a private screening of the Player of the Season Award Show for our friends, partners, and media representatives. After the show was first broadcast in the USA on CBS, we brought the experience to our Croatian audience.
The screening highlighted the best moments and best players of the last season. From trophy deliveries to messages from the winners, it was a celebration of football’s best. Four million people have seen the show in the USA, and now, you can also watch it here
The evening opened with words from Ivan Bešlić and Zlatko Hrkać.
“When we started, we didn’t know what to expect, we just went for it. Each year we take a bigger step forward. Players are now reaching out to us about the awards and the Ratings, and that makes us proud.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder
“Our award is different from anything the competition does. We want to bring the world’s best footballers to the Croatian coast to receive a trophy that celebrates objectivity and rewards everything they do on the pitch, not opinions or votes.”
Ivan Bešlić, Sofascore’s co-founder
Zadar Filming
The Award Show was filmed in Zadar, Croatia, turning the Adriatic coast into a stage for football excellence. The event was hosted by Kate Scott and Peter Schmeichel, under the creative direction of Pete Radovich and produced by CBS.
>> Sofascore’s First-Ever Player of the Season Award Show
The filming in Zadar also brought together big names from sport. Among the guests were UFC champion Stipe Miočić, former Croatian international Šime Vrsaljko, and football stars such as Dimitar Berbatov. Their presence added to the atmosphere, while live interviews with Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards, Thierry Henry and Alessandro Del Piero made the show both insightful and entertaining.
Billboards Across Europe
The celebration didn’t stop with the show. To mark the winners, Sofascore placed billboards across Europe, bringing football recognition from stadiums to city streets. From Barcelona and London to Rome, Paris, Lyon, and beyond, each location celebrates a standout player and their Sofascore Rating.
In Liverpool, the spotlight was on Mohamed Salah, in Barcelona, billboards honored both Raphinha and Alexia Putellas. Munich highlighted Joshua Kimmich’s, while Rome featured Lazio’s Mattia Zaccagni alongside Clarisse Le Bihan, winners in Serie A and Serie A Femminile.
Further across Europe, Achraf Hakimi lit up Paris with his Ligue 1 recognition, Mariona Caldentey was celebrated in London, and Melchie Dumornay was featured in Lyon. Frankfurt, Santander, Karlsruhe, La Spezia, and Metz also joined the campaign, each city proudly displaying their own Sofascore Player of the Season.
Read more about all the billboards on this link.
Cocktails and Conversations
After the screening, guests stayed for an informal gathering. With cocktails in hand, the conversations moved from highlights of the Award Show to the growing role of statistics in football. It was a chance to reflect on the season, and look ahead to what’s next.
Check out the full gallery below:
