Fernandes and Shaw win PFA player of the year awards

Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw have been named the Professional Footballers' Association men's and women's player of the year for the 2025‑26 season. Both had previously won the Football Writers' Association men's and women's footballer of the year awards for the same campaign. Fernandes, who set a new Premier League record with 21 assists in a single season, became the first Manchester United player to claim the PFA honour since Wayne Rooney in 2010. The 31‑year‑old Portuguese midfielder also surpassed the 20‑assist marks previously held by Kevin de Bruyne and Thierry Henry. He contributed nine goals and 21 assists in 35 league appearances, helping United finish third and qualify for the Champions League. Across all competitions he recorded nine goals and 22 assists in 37 matches. Fernandes joined United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and edged out Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes, David Raya and Declan Rice, as well as Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland, for the award. He is only the second Portuguese player to win the PFA player of the year, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s back‑to‑back victories in 2007 and 2008. Shaw secured her second PFA women's player of the year award in three seasons. The Jamaica international scored 21 goals in 22 league games as Manchester City retained the Women’s Super League title, earning her a third consecutive WSL golden boot. She recorded hat‑tricks against Aston Villa (four goals) and Tottenham, and added two goals versus West Ham on the final matchday, becoming the first player to reach 20 or more goals in three different WSL seasons. Shaw is the first player to win three WSL golden boots, surpassing the two‑time totals of Vivienne Miedema and Sam Kerr. The 29‑year‑old added five further goals, including the opener in the FA Cup final, as City lifted the trophy. Shaw is the third player to win multiple PFA women's player of the year awards, joining Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby, and previously completed the PFA‑FWA treble after the 2023‑24 campaign. Other nominees for the women's award included teammate Yui Hasegawa, Aston Villa’s Kirsty Hanson, Chelsea’s Lauren James, Manchester United’s Jess Park and Arsenal’s Alessia Russo. In the men's young player of the year category, Nico O'Reilly succeeded Morgan Rogers. The 21‑year‑old City defender logged eight goal involvements (five goals) and nine clean sheets in 34 league outings, scored twice and was named player of the match in the League Cup final victory over Arsenal. Olivia Smith retained the women's young player of the year award, becoming only the second player after England’s Lauren Hemp to win the honour on multiple occasions. The 22‑year‑old Canada international scored ten goals in each competition after joining Arsenal for £1 million last summer from Liverpool. The PFA also released its teams of the year. The Premier League XI, voted by players, featured Arsenal’s David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, Manchester City’s Nico O'Reilly, Bruno Fernandes, Declan Rice and Rayan Cherki, plus Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Brentford’s Igor Thiago. The WSL team of the year included Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton and Ellie Carpenter, Manchester City’s Kerstin Casparij, Tottenham’s Toko Koga, Arsenal’s Emily Fox, plus City’s Yui Hasegawa, Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey, Manchester United’s Jess Park, and Shaw, Russo and Lauren James representing City, Arsenal and Chelsea respectively.