Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw Claim Top Honors as PFA Players of the Year

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been crowned the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year, while Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw secured the Women’s award for the second time. The prestigious accolades, announced on Tuesday, celebrated the stellar individual campaigns of both stars despite contrasting fortunes for their respective clubs.

During an exceptional 2025–26 season, Portuguese international Fernandes shattered the Premier League assists record by setting up 21 goals, surpassing the previous benchmarks held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. The 31-year-old midfielder also netted nine times, helping Manchester United recover from a sluggish start to finish third in the Premier League under Michael Carrick and secure a coveted return to the Champions League. This latest honor adds to the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award Fernandes won in May.

Reflecting on the achievement, Fernandes said, “It is obviously a very proud moment. They are the ones you go on the pitch against, and it’s probably not easy to vote for someone you play against, so it is a very good moment.”

On the women's side, Shaw was duly recognized after firing in 21 goals to claim her third consecutive Golden Boot and guide Manchester City to their first Women’s Super League title in a decade.

Manchester City enjoyed further recognition when Nico O’Reilly was named Men’s Young Player of the Year. The 21-year-old England international scored twice in the League Cup final victory over Arsenal and helped the club capture the FA Cup last season. “I’m very proud of the season I had,” O’Reilly stated. “I won two trophies with my club and managed to play at the World Cup with my country. I’m over the moon with how it turned out.”

O’Reilly was joined in the Team of the Year by Manchester City teammates Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Antoine Semenyo. Meanwhile, league champions Arsenal dominated the XI with five representatives: David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, and Declan Rice, with Bruno Fernandes and Brentford’s Igor Thiago rounding out the lineup.