Bruno Fernandes Completes Historic Treble as PFA Player of the Year
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has capped off a monumental 2025-26 campaign by claiming the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, cementing his status as the Premier League’s most influential individual.
The glittering ceremony, held Tuesday night at the Manchester Opera House, saw the Portuguese playmaker receive the game’s most coveted individual honor, as voted for by his fellow professionals. With this win, Fernandes becomes the first Manchester United player to lift the trophy since Wayne Rooney in 2010.
A Historic Clean Sweep
The PFA award serves as the final piece of an unprecedented individual “hat-trick” for Fernandes this season. Having already secured the Premier League Player of the Season and the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year, the United talisman has now swept every major personal accolade available.
His dominance was built on a historic statistical output. Fernandes redefined the role of a creative midfielder, shattering the Premier League single-season assist record by tallying 21 assists, eclipsing the previous mark of 20 shared by legends Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Complementing his distribution with nine league goals, Fernandes was instrumental in steering Michael Carrick’s Manchester United to a third-place finish and a return to UEFA Champions League football.
“It is obviously a very proud moment,” said a gracious Fernandes, who attended the gala with his wife, Ana. “These are the players you battle against on the pitch week in, week out. To receive their recognition is deeply meaningful.”
An Arsenal and City-Dominated Team of the Year
The PFA Premier League Team of the Year highlighted the fierce competition at the summit of the table, dominated by the juggernauts of Arsenal and Manchester City. Fernandes stood as one of only two players from outside those two clubs to make the starting XI, joined by Brentford striker Igor Thiago.
Arsenal’s title-challenging campaign was reflected in their five selections, including David Raya, William Saliba, and Declan Rice, while Manchester City’s squad was represented by stars like Erling Haaland and breakout talent Nico O’Reilly.
Rising Stars and Women’s Dominance
The night also belonged to the next generation, with Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly earning the PFA Men’s Young Player of the Year award. O’Reilly, who played a key role in England’s bronze-medal-winning World Cup campaign, capped a breakthrough season by earning a spot in both the senior Team of the Year and taking home the top individual honors for youth players.
In the women’s game, Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw etched her name into history, winning her second PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award. Shaw, who claimed the WSL Golden Boot with 21 goals in 22 appearances, was a central figure in City’s title-winning season, joining an elite group of two-time winners alongside Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby.
PFA Awards 2026: Key Winners
- PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
- PFA Men’s Young Player of the Year: Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City)
- PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year: Bunny Shaw (Manchester City)
- Championship Player of the Year: Hayden Hackney (Everton)
- League One Player of the Year: Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient)
- League Two Player of the Year: Aaron Drinan (Swindon)
As the curtain closes on the 2025-26 season, Fernandes’ achievement stands as a testament to individual brilliance in a collective sport—a year in which the Manchester United captain moved beyond mere accolades to establish a new benchmark for playmaking in English football.
