Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Manchester City midfielder Nico O’Reilly and Arsenal forward Olivia Smith were among the leading winners at the 53rd PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, as professional footballers recognised the outstanding performers of the 2025/26 season.
Fernandes claimed the men’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year award after a record-breaking Premier League campaign, while Shaw collected the women’s equivalent.
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O’Reilly and Smith were named Young Players of the Year in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.
The awards are voted for by fellow professionals, giving the evening a distinctive character.
Players vote for colleagues within their own leagues, making the honours a direct recognition from those who shared the pitch with the nominees throughout the campaign.
Fernandes, 31, enjoyed a particularly influential season for Manchester United, registering a Premier League-record 21 assists and nine goals as Manchester United finished third and secured Champions League football.
The Portuguese midfielder had also collected the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award and Manchester United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year prize before adding the PFA honour.
“It is obviously a very proud moment,” Fernandes said, reflecting on the significance of being recognised by fellow players.
The victory made Fernandes the 12th Manchester United player to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, moving the club ahead of Liverpool for the most wins in the history of the honour. Fernandes also became only the second Portuguese winner after Cristiano Ronaldo.
Shaw’s achievement was equally significant. The Manchester City striker scored 21 Women’s Super League goals as Manchester City won the league title, while Shaw claimed her third consecutive WSL Golden Boot.
The 29-year-old previously won the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award in 2024.
O’Reilly, 21, was rewarded for a breakthrough season with Manchester City by winning the men’s Young Player of the Year award.
Smith, 22, retained the women’s Young Player of the Year prize after another impressive campaign, becoming a two-time winner of the award.
The complete 2026 PFA Awards winners list is as follows.
Men’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United.
Women’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Manchester City.
Men’s PFA Young Player of the Year: Nico O’Reilly, Manchester City.
Women’s PFA Young Player of the Year: Olivia Smith, Arsenal.
PFA Merit Award: Sir Kenny Dalglish.
PFA Merit Award: Karen Carney OBE.
The EFL honours then recognised outstanding performances across the Championship, League One and League Two.
Championship PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Hayden Hackney, Middlesbrough.
League One PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Dom Ballard, Leyton Orient.
League Two PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Aaron Drinan, Swindon Town.
The PFA also announced the men’s divisional Teams of the Year.
PFA Premier League Team of the Year: David Raya, Arsenal; Gabriel Magalhães, Arsenal; Nico O’Reilly, Manchester City; William Saliba, Arsenal; Jurriën Timber, Arsenal; Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United; Declan Rice, Arsenal; Rayan Cherki, Manchester City; Erling Haaland, Manchester City; Antoine Semenyo, Manchester City; Igor Thiago, Brentford.
PFA Championship Team of the Year: Carl Rushworth, Coventry City; Milan van Ewijk, Coventry City; Bobby Thomas, Coventry City; Tristan Crama, Millwall; Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Southampton; Hayden Hackney, Middlesbrough; Matt Grimes, Coventry City; Jack Rudoni, Coventry City; Žan Vipotnik, Swansea City; Haji Wright, Coventry City; Femi Azeez, Millwall.
PFA League One Team of the Year: George Wickens, Lincoln City; Sonny Bradley, Lincoln City; Tendayi Darikwa, Lincoln City; Perry Ng, Cardiff City; Carl Piergianni, Stevenage; Oliver Norwood, Stockport County; Lewis Wing, Reading; Jack Moylan, Lincoln City; Dom Ballard, Leyton Orient; Kyle Wootton, Stockport County; Amario Cozier-Duberry, Bolton Wanderers.
PFA League Two Team of the Year: Mathew Hudson, Oldham Athletic; Omar Sowunmi, Bromley; Kelland Watts, Cambridge United; Jack Sanders, MK Dons; James Gibbons, Cambridge United; Alex Gilbey, MK Dons; Mitch Pinnock, Bromley; Sammy Braybrooke, Chesterfield; Aaron Drinan, Swindon Town; Michael Cheek, Bromley; Callum Paterson, MK Dons.
The women’s awards extended the recognition across both the Women’s Super League and Women’s Super League 2.
WSL PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Manchester City.
WSL PFA Young Player of the Year: Olivia Smith, Arsenal.
WSL PFA Team of the Year: Hannah Hampton, Chelsea; Kerstin Casparij, Manchester City; Tōko Koga, Tottenham Hotspur; Ellie Carpenter, Chelsea; Emily Fox, Arsenal; Yui Hasegawa, Manchester City; Mariona Caldentey, Arsenal; Jessica Park, Manchester United; Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Manchester City; Alessia Russo, Arsenal; Lauren James, Chelsea.
WSL2 PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Lily Crosthwaite, Birmingham City.
WSL2 PFA Team of the Year: Sophie Whitehouse, Charlton Athletic; Aimee Everett, Crystal Palace; Neve Herron, Birmingham City; Rebecca McKenna, Birmingham City; Mari Ward, Bristol City; Emily Syme, Bristol City; Jordan Nobbs, Newcastle United; Annabel Blanchard, Crystal Palace; Lily Crosthwaite, Birmingham City; Ashleigh Weerden, Crystal Palace; Emily Murphy, Newcastle United.
The two Merit Awards added a wider sense of history to the ceremony.
Sir Kenny Dalglish was recognised for an extraordinary career as both player and manager.
Dalglish won six league titles and three European Cups with Liverpool, collected the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in 1982/83 and earned 102 Scotland caps. He later managed Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title in 1994/95.
Karen Carney OBE was honoured for an 18-year playing career and her continuing influence on women’s football.
Carney won major honours with Arsenal and Chelsea, made 144 England appearances and represented the Lionesses at four World Cups and four European Championships.
Following her retirement, Carney chaired the UK Government’s independent review into the future of domestic women’s football, which produced 10 strategic recommendations that the Government accepted.
The full spread of winners underlined the breadth of the PFA Awards, from established international stars to emerging players and standout performers outside the Premier League.
For Fernandes, however, the evening carried particular weight.
The Manchester United captain’s 21-assist campaign had already established him as one of the defining creative players of the season. Recognition from fellow professionals provided a powerful final endorsement.
The 2026 ceremony also continued a long PFA tradition of allowing players to determine who deserves the highest individual recognition.
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The award’s history includes some of English football’s most celebrated names, while the 2026 winners offered a mixture of established leadership, emerging talent and sustained excellence.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
