Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been named the 2026 Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Players’ Player of the Year.
The Portuguese midfielder received the award at the 53rd annual PFA Awards ceremony held at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester, United Kingdom, on Tuesday.
Fernandes was voted the outstanding player of the 2025/26 season by his fellow professionals, beating five other nominees in the men’s category.
The shortlist included Manchester City forwards Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki, alongside Arsenal players Declan Rice, David Raya and Gabriel Magalhães.
The award caps an impressive individual campaign for Fernandes, who played a key role in Manchester United’s third-place finish in the Premier League and their return to the UEFA Champions League.
He recorded 21 Premier League assists during the season, a record for the midfielder. Fernandes had earlier been named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season.
Haaland was shortlisted after another prolific campaign in front of goal, winning the Premier League Golden Boot for the third time after scoring 27 goals in 35 league appearances for Manchester City.
His City teammate Cherki also earned recognition following an impressive debut season in English football.
Arsenal had three players among the final six nominees following their title-winning campaign, with Rice, Raya and Gabriel all making the shortlist.
The PFA Players’ Player of the Year is voted for by professional footballers, making it one of the most notable individual honours in English football.
Fernandes’ latest recognition adds to a growing list of individual accolades since he joined Manchester United in January 2020 and further underlines his influence as captain and one of the club’s key players.
