PFA Awards 2026: Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw
August 27, 2026 ·
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City's Khadija Shaw have been declared the PFA men's and women's Players of the Year, marking outstanding individual achievements in the 2025-26 season.
PFA Awards 2026: Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw
According to Bbc.
Background
Bruno Fernandes, as captain of Manchester United, has shown impressive form in the Premier League, setting a record for most assists in a single season. This award marks an important achievement in his career and strengthens his position as one of the key players in the Premier League.
Why this is important
Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw's PFA awards highlight their outstanding performances in the Premier League and Women's Super League. Fernandes, with a record 21 assists, showed his quality as Manchester United captain, even though his team did not win a trophy this season. This achievement also emphasizes the importance of individual contributions in the context of tight competition in the Premier League.
Main Points
- 2026 PFA Awards: Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw.
- Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City's Khadija Shaw have been declared PFA men's and women's Players of the Year, marking outstanding individual achievements in the 2025-26 season.
- PFA Awards 2026: Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw win player of the year awards - BBC Sport.
Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United captain, and Khadija Shaw, Manchester City striker, have won the Professional Players Association (PFA) Player of the Year awards in the men's and women's categories. Both were previously declared the best players by the Football Writers Association (FWA) for the 2025-26 season.
Fernandes, who set the record for most assists in a single Premier League season with 21 assists, became the first United player to win this award since Wayne Rooney in 2010. Meanwhile, Shaw won the title for the second time in the last three seasons and became the third consecutive top scorer in the Women's Super League (WSL) with 21 goals, helping Man City to the title.
City's Nico O'Reilly was declared the men's Young Player of the Year, replacing Morgan Rogers, after a solid performance with eight goal contributions (five goals) and nine clean sheets in 34 league appearances. Meanwhile, Arsenal's Olivia Smith successfully retained the women's Young Player of the Year title, becoming one of only two players to win the award more than once, after Lauren Hemp.
Even though Manchester United did not win a trophy this season, Fernandes managed to prove his extraordinary individual qualities by surpassing Kevin de Bruyne and Thierry Henry's previous assist record of 20 assists in one Premier League season. In the final game of the season against Brighton, Fernandes scored a goal and contributed an assist, finishing the season with nine goals and 21 assists in 35 league appearances. Rayan Cherki from Man City was the second highest provider with 12 assists.
Shaw scored 21 goals in 22 appearances, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa and a brace against West Ham on the final day of the season, making her the first player to score 20 or more goals in three different seasons in the WSL. With this achievement, Shaw became the first player to win three WSL golden boots, ahead of Vivienne Miedema and Sam Kerr who each won twice.
In the player's version of the best team of the year, the Premier League teams are dominated by Arsenal and Man City. Arsenal conceded just 27 goals last season, as seen in the selection of goalkeeper David Raya and defenders Gabriel, William Lintasa and Jurrien Timber, who were joined by midfielder Declan Rice. Man City has four representatives, namely O'Reilly, Cherki, Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, while Fernandes and Igor Thiago from Brentford complete the best XI.
The WSL's best team also includes three players from Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal, with Man United's Park and Tottenham's Toko Koga the only players selected from outside the top three teams. With this award, Fernandes and Shaw demonstrate their qualities as the best players in England, proving that they are worthy of recognition at the highest level in football.
What happened next
With Fernandes and Shaw picking up these prestigious awards, the focus now turns to next season and how they will contribute to their respective teams. Manchester United and Manchester City are expected to strengthen their squads ahead of the new season, in the hope of competing better in the Premier League. Fernandes and Shaw's performances will be key in determining the team's direction and results in the upcoming competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 PFA Player of the Year award?
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City's Khadija Shaw won the PFA Player of the Year awards in the men's and women's categories.
How many assists has Bruno Fernandes scored in the Premier League this season?
Bruno Fernandes scored a record 21 assists in one Premier League season.
What impact will this award have on Manchester United's position in the standings?
Even though Bruno Fernandes won an individual award, Manchester United did not win a trophy this season.
Who is the men's Young Player of the Year?
Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly was declared the men's Young Player of the Year.
When is the next match for Manchester United and Manchester City?
This article does not include information about the next matches for Manchester United and Manchester City.
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