Fernandes and Shaw named PFA men's and women's players of the year
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw were named the Professional Footballers' Association men's and women's players of the year on 25 August 2026. Both had earlier been chosen as the Football Writers' Association men's and women's footballers of the year for the 2025-26 season.
Fernandes broke the Premier League single-season assists record with 21 and became the first Manchester United player to win the PFA men's award since Wayne Rooney in 2010. Shaw secured her second PFA women's player of the year in three seasons while finishing the campaign with 21 goals, claiming a third consecutive Women's Super League (WSL) golden boot as Manchester City were crowned WSL champions.
Manchester City defender Nico O'Reilly succeeded Morgan Rogers as the men's young player of the year after cementing his place in the starting XI; the versatile 21-year-old contributed eight goal involvements (five goals) and nine clean sheets in 34 league outings, scored twice and was named player of the match as City beat Arsenal in the League Cup final.
Arsenal's Olivia Smith retained the women's young player of the year award, becoming only the second player after England international Lauren Hemp to win the honour more than once. The Canada international, 22, scored 10 goals in all competitions after joining the Gunners for £1m last summer from Liverpool.
Fernandes finished the 2025-26 league campaign with nine goals and 21 assists in 35 appearances, and totaled nine goals and 22 assists in 37 matches in all competitions. He beat Arsenal trio Gabriel Magalhaes, David Raya and Declan Rice and Manchester City attackers Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland to the PFA men's award, with Man City's Cherki the second-most prolific provider on 12 assists.
Khadija Shaw scored 21 goals in 22 WSL appearances as City clinched their second WSL title, registering hat-tricks against Aston Villa (including a four-goal game) and Tottenham and scoring twice against West Ham on the final day to become the first player to reach 20 or more goals in three different WSL seasons. The 29-year-old is the first player to win three WSL golden boots, moving clear of two-time winners Vivienne Miedema and Sam Kerr, and she added a further five goals, including the opener in the final, as Manchester City won the FA Cup. Shaw is the third individual to win multiple PFA women's player of the year awards, joining Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby, and she previously completed the PFA and FWA double following the 2023-24 campaign.
The players voted a Premier League team of the year dominated by champions Arsenal and runners-up Manchester City: David Raya (Arsenal); Jurrien Timber (Arsenal), William Saliba (Arsenal), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Nico O'Reilly (Man City); Bruno Fernandes (Man United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Rayan Cherki (Man City); Erling Haaland (Man City), Antoine Semenyo (Man City), Igor Thiago (Brentford). The WSL team of the year named Hannah Hampton (Chelsea); Kerstin Casparij (Man City), Toko Koga (Tottenham), Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea), Emily Fox (Arsenal); Yui Hasegawa (Man City), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), Jess Park (Man United); Bunny Shaw (Man City), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Lauren James (Chelsea). The WSL side featured three players apiece from champions Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, with Man United's Jess Park and Tottenham defender Toko Koga the only selections from outside those top three.
Fernandes' assist tally contributed to Manchester United finishing third in the Premier League and securing Champions League football, while Shaw's goals played a central part in Manchester City's WSL title success.
