Bruno Fernandes has been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year after a landmark 2025-26 campaign in which the Manchester United captain broke the Premier League record for most assists in a single season.
Fernandes surpassed the previous mark of 20, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, on the final day of the season when he set up Patrick Dorgu’s header against Brighton to register his 21st assist of the campaign.
Fernandes has already won the Premier League Player of the Season and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year accolades, and completed the hat-trick by collecting the prestigious, player-voted award at Manchester’s Opera House on Tuesday evening.
He was United’s first to claim the PFA Players’ Player of the Year since Wayne Rooney in 2010.
The Portugal midfielder was the sole United player to have been named in the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year, and he is joined by Brentford’s Igor Thiago as the only other non-Manchester City or Arsenal player in the side.
David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice all made up a heavily defensive Arsenal contingent, while Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland completed City’s representation.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was crowned PFA Player of the Year on Tuesday
Fernandes, who attended with his wife Ana, was also named in the PFA Team of the Year
Fernandes had already won the Premier League Player of the Season and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year accolades, and completed the hat-trick on Tuesday evening
Mohamed Salah was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year last year, but no Liverpool players made the cut this time.
O’Reilly also scooped the Men’s Young Player of the Year award, beating team-mate Cherki as well as Max Dowman, Junior Kroupi, Kobbie Mainoo and Rio Ngumoha to the prize.
Elsewhere, Everton’s Hayden Hackney was named the Championship Player of the Year after playing a key role in Middlesbrough’s run to the play-off final in May. He signed for David Moyes’ side in July after missing out on promotion with his boyhood club.
Dom Ballard took home the League One title after a standout season for Leyton Orient while Swindon’s Aaron Drinan won the League Two award.
Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw lifted the Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award for the second time after also collecting it in 2024, becoming only the third player to win it twice after Lucy Bronze (2014 and 2017) and Fran Kirby (2018 and 2021).
Shaw was the WSL’s Golden Boot winner last season, scoring 21 goals in 22 matches as she helped fire her team to the top-flight trophy for the first time in 10 years.
The other nominees for the top prize in the women’s game were Manchester City team-mate Yui Hasegawa, Chelsea’s Lauren James, Manchester United’s Jess Park, Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Aston Villa’s Kirsty Hanson.
Nico O’Reilly (left) won the PFA Young Player, while Declan Rice was in the Team of the Year
Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw lifted the Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award
Arsenal’s Olivia Smith scooped the Young Player of the Year award after a fine season
Hannah Hampton, Kerstin Casparij, Toko Koga, Ellie Carpenter and Emily Fox made up the remainder of the PFA WSL Team of the Year.
Arsenal’s Olivia Smith, the former most expensive transfer in women’s history, scooped the Young Player of the Year award.
The 22-year-old Canada international became the first women’s player to surpass the seven-figure barrier last summer when Arsenal signed her from Liverpool for £1 million, and had an impressive campaign, scoring five goals and recording three assists.
