Mayo takes six All Star honors
The reigning champions secured the most selections in the 2026 awards, with Kobe McDonald becoming the third 18-year-old on the list.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Mayo claimed six of the 15 All Star football awards announced this week. The selection gives the All-Ireland champions the largest share of honors for a single team. This outcome follows their recent success on the field and places them ahead of all other counties in the voting.
The 2026 list includes players from eight different counties. This represents a wider geographic spread than any selection since 1971. That prior year is the only time in history that more counties were represented on the football team of the year. The current grouping reflects a shift in where the votes came from across the league and championship.
Kobe McDonald of Mayo made the team at age 18. He is only the third player to achieve that distinction in the history of the award. His inclusion highlights the depth of talent currently available in the county. The selection committee chose him alongside five other Mayo teammates.
Paudie Clifford did not receive an award. His omission from the final list is expected to draw criticism from fans and analysts. The decision to leave him out while selecting six players from one other county stands out as a point of contention for the 2026 ceremony.
The awards cover the football season that concluded in late 2026. The voting process concluded before the public announcement. The list of 15 players serves as the official team of the year for the code. The ceremony will formally present the honors to the selected athletes.
Mayo's dominance in the awards mirrors their performance in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The team finished the season as champions. Their success on the pitch translated directly into the highest number of individual recognitions. No other county matched their total of six selections.
The 1971 precedent remains the benchmark for diversity in these awards. Since that year, the selections have tended to concentrate among fewer counties. The 2026 list breaks that recent trend by including athletes from eight regions. This shift suggests a more distributed approach to voting by the panel.
