Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw have been named the 2026 Professional Footballers’ Association Players of the Year, earning the prestigious honours through votes from their fellow professionals, as reported by The Guardian and BBC Sports.
Fernandes was rewarded after a remarkable 2025/26 Premier League campaign in which he set a new league record with 21 assists and scored nine goals, helping Manchester United recover to finish third and secure Champions League qualification. The award also completes an outstanding individual season for the Portuguese midfielder, who had already won the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season awards.
For Shaw, the recognition caps another exceptional campaign with Manchester City. The Jamaican striker scored 21 goals to claim her third consecutive WSL Golden Boot, while also helping City win the Women’s Super League title. It is her second PFA Women’s Player of the Year award, following her previous victory in 2024.
The 2026 PFA Awards also saw Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly and Arsenal’s Olivia Smith named the men’s and women’s Young Players of the Year respectively. The results underline the growing influence of Fernandes and Shaw as two of the standout performers in English football, with their achievements now formally recognised by the players they compete against.
