Pakistani footballer Layla Banaras has won the Female Elite Sports Athlete of the Year award at the Muslim Sports Awards 2026.
The 20-year-old midfielder plays for Lewes in England and represents Pakistan at the senior level.
Earlier in October, she won the Women’s Young Player award at the Asian Football Awards in London, which honour British Asians in football. Her Pakistan teammate Mariam Mahmood won the Women’s Player award at the same event.
Born in Birmingham, Banaras joined Birmingham City at the age of eight. At 16, she became the first woman of South Asian heritage to represent the club in its professional era. She signed for Lewes in 2025.
She made her senior Pakistan debut in 2025 alongside featuring in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in Jakarta. On April 9, 2026, she scored twice in Pakistan’s 8-0 win over Turks and Caicos at the FIFA Series in Abidjan.
Off the pitch, Banaras created a Ramadan Nutrition Guide and Meal Planner at 15 with club nutritionist Isobel Cotham and the Professional Footballers’ Association. The resources help Muslim athletes train while fasting.
