Havana, Aug 25 (RHC) – Portuguese Bruno Fernandes was elected today as the 2026 Premier League Player of the Year by the Professional Football Association (PFA).
The Manchester United midfielder received the award after being voted for by his teammates, based on his performance last season when he broke the Premier League assist record with 21.
Fernandes also scored nine goals, helping United to a third-place finish in the competition under Michael Carrick and securing their return to the Champions League.
At 31, the Portuguese international is the first United player to win this award since Wayne Rooney in 2010.
Among the women, Canadian Bunny Shaw earned the distinction for the second time in her career after a standout season with Manchester City, which saw her win her third consecutive Golden Boot (21 goals) and the inaugural Women’s Super League title.
The awards for best young players went to Arsenal’s Olivia Smith and Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, the latter a bronze medalist with England at the 2016 World Cup.
Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champions, had five representatives in the ideal team: David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, and Declan Rice, along with Manchester United’s Player of the Year, Fernandes, and Brentford striker Igor Thiago.
Meanwhile, the women’s team included three Manchester City players—Shay, Kerstin Casparij, and Yui Hasegawa—as well as Mariana Caldentey and her Arsenal teammates, Emily Fox and Alessia Russo.
Tottenham defender Toko Koga and Manchester United’s Jess Park were also part of the team of the year, as was Chelsea’s trio of Hannah Hampton, Ellie Carpenter, and Lauren James.
The 53rd edition of the PFA awards recognized the best footballers of the year in all competitions in England at a ceremony held in Manchester.
