Danish Superliga side SønderjyskE turned heads on Sunday with an unusual Man of the Match prize, 55 kilograms of potatoes, awarded to defender Maxime Soulas after their thrilling 3-2 victory over Nordsjælland.
The 26-year-old Frenchman, who opened the scoring in the match, recounted the unusual moment to AFP (via SuperSport) on Tuesday.
“I gave the potatoes to my club’s cafeteria, and they donated some to a soup kitchen,” he said, after receiving the hefty haul in a wheelbarrow.
In what was perhaps the first time a player could literally eat his award, Soulas’ win became a global talking point.
“The sponsor of the match decides on the reward. He found it funny and now the story’s gone round the world,” explained Jacob Ravn, the club’s communications director.
Originally from Montpellier, Soulas made the switch to Denmark in 2020, signing for Amager in Copenhagen. A year later, he joined SønderjyskE, then in the Danish second tier, after a stint in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, in Norway, agricultural-themed match awards are also becoming a quirky tradition.
Despite a 3-1 loss in a friendly against Viking FC, Norwegian First Division side Bryne named Lasse Qvigstad their standout performer.
The 21-year-old left-back, who netted the team’s lone goal, received a distinctly rural reward: 40 bags of oatmeal, 100 eggs, and 20 litres of milk.
According to Tribuna, the prize reflects the club’s close ties with Norway’s agricultural heartland, where meat and dairy reign supreme.
Fans on social media had a field day with the quirky reward.
“With prices like these in Norway, I’d take this any day of the week!” one fan joked.
“That’ll definitely help with the home bills,” another quipped.
“Honestly, that’s a way better prize than some plastic tube with sponsor logos,” a third added.
And this isn’t Bryne’s first time dishing out farm-fresh accolades.
Back in March 2025, the club honoured goalkeeper Jan de Boer with four crates of eggs following his standout performance in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bodo/Glimt — their first game after rejoining the top flight.
