Bruno Fernandes Wins PFA Player of the Year After Record Assist Season

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was named the Professional Footballers' Association Men's Player of the Year on August 25, 2026, capping a record-breaking season in which he set a new all-time Premier League assist record. The 31-year-old Portuguese midfielder received the prestigious award, voted on by fellow professional players, at the 53rd annual PFA Awards ceremony held at the Manchester Opera House.

Fernandes secured the honor after providing 21 assists in the 2025-26 Premier League season, surpassing the previous record of 20 held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. He also scored nine goals, helping Manchester United recover from a difficult start to the campaign to finish third in the league and secure a return to the UEFA Champions League. His victory breaks an eight-season streak where the award was won by players from either Manchester City or Liverpool, and he is the first United player to win it since Wayne Rooney in the 2009-10 season.

"Honestly, it means a lot," Fernandes said. "Voted by the players, the ones I step onto the pitch to play against every weekend, so there is a different meaning to the other awards I have got." He added that his...