Bruno Fernandes has capped an extraordinary 2025-26 campaign by being named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, further cementing his status as one of the Premier League’s most influential performers. The Manchester United captain enjoyed a record-breaking season individually, while his performances also helped restore attention to the club’s ambitions at the highest level.
One particularly striking detail from the PFA Premier League Team of the Year highlights just how impressive Fernandes’ campaign was. He was one of only two players from outside Arsenal and Manchester City to be selected in the prestigious XI. The other was Brentford striker Igor Thiago, meaning Fernandes stood almost alone among players from the rest of the league.
Fernandes’ PFA award represents the latest addition to an already impressive collection of individual honours. During the 2025-26 season, the Portugal international also claimed the Premier League Player of the Season award and was recognised as the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. By winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year prize as well, he completed a remarkable individual treble.
The award was presented at Manchester’s Opera House on Tuesday evening and was particularly significant because it was voted for by fellow professional footballers. Fernandes became the first Manchester United player to receive the honour since Wayne Rooney won it in 2010.
For Fernandes, the recognition carried special meaning because it came directly from players who had competed against him throughout the season.
“Winning this, being voted by the ones that every week go out on the pitch against me, is something that makes me very proud,” Fernandes said.
He explained that opposing players had been able to see his qualities first-hand and that receiving their votes made the achievement even more satisfying. Fernandes also stressed the importance of seeing Manchester United represented among the winners of major individual awards.
The midfielder hopes his success can inspire more of his United teammates to receive similar recognition in the future. He believes individual awards are valuable not simply because of the personal honour they provide, but because they demonstrate that a player’s performances are making a meaningful contribution to the team.
Fernandes’ historic campaign was highlighted most clearly by his record-breaking assist tally. On the final day of the Premier League season, he provided the assist for Patrick Dorgu’s header against Brighton, taking his total to 21 assists for the campaign.
That figure moved him beyond the previous Premier League record of 20 assists, which had been jointly held by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Manchester City great Kevin De Bruyne. By reaching 21, Fernandes established a new benchmark for assists in a single Premier League season.
His influence extended far beyond creating chances. As United captain and attacking midfielder, Fernandes remained central to the team’s build-up play, chance creation and attacking production throughout the campaign. His consistency was one of the defining features of Manchester United’s season.
The PFA Team of the Year selection provided further evidence of his outstanding individual contribution. Fernandes was the only Manchester United player included in the Premier League XI, despite the strong representation from two of the league’s leading sides.
Arsenal dominated the defensive positions, with David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice all selected. Manchester City also had a significant presence, with Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland making the team.
Fernandes and Brentford’s Igor Thiago were therefore the only two players selected from clubs outside Arsenal and Manchester City. For the United captain, being included in such a heavily concentrated Team of the Year makes his achievement even more remarkable.
The absence of Liverpool players was another notable feature of the selections. Mohamed Salah had won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award the previous season, but no Liverpool player was included in this year’s Team of the Year.
Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly also enjoyed a memorable evening after being named the PFA Men’s Young Player of the Year. He beat strong competition from teammate Rayan Cherki, as well as Max Dowman, Junior Kroupi, Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo and Rio Ngumoha.
Elsewhere, the Championship award went to Hayden Hackney. The midfielder played an important role in Middlesbrough’s run to the Championship play-off final in May before completing a move to Everton in July. His transfer came after Middlesbrough narrowly missed out on promotion despite their impressive campaign.
The women’s awards also recognised several outstanding performances. Hannah Hampton, Kerstin Casparij, Toko Koga, Ellie Carpenter and Emily Fox were selected for the PFA WSL Team of the Year, highlighting the strength and quality of the women’s game.
Arsenal’s Olivia Smith was named the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year following an impressive season. The Canada international made history the previous summer when Arsenal signed her from Liverpool for £1 million, making her the first female footballer to surpass the seven-figure transfer mark.
Smith responded to the pressure surrounding the record-breaking move with an encouraging campaign. The 22-year-old scored five goals and provided three assists, demonstrating why Arsenal had been prepared to make such a significant investment in her.
However, the headline achievement of the PFA awards remained Fernandes’ extraordinary individual campaign. Breaking the Premier League assist record, winning three major individual honours and earning a place in a Team of the Year dominated by Arsenal and Manchester City all underline the scale of his contribution.
For Manchester United, Fernandes’ success offers more than just another personal accolade for their captain. It represents recognition of a player who has consistently carried significant creative responsibility for the side and remained one of the club’s most important figures.
With his record of 21 Premier League assists and a collection of the season’s most prestigious individual awards, Fernandes has undoubtedly established himself as one of the defining players of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign. His PFA triumph is particularly meaningful because it was decided by his fellow professionals, making it a powerful endorsement of the impact he made throughout the season.
