Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw have been crowned the 2025/26 Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballers of the Year after superb campaigns for Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.
Fernandes received the men’s prize following a stunning individual effort that helped fire Manchester United back into the UEFA Champions League places. The Portugal midfielder finished with eight goals and 19 assists in the Premier League, only one assist shy of tying the league single-season record most assists, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
The 31-year-old was the first Manchester United player to win the prestigious award since Wayne Rooney in 2010. He reportedly claimed 45 per cent of the votes from football journalists, ahead of Declan Rice and Erling Haaland in the final standings.
Fernandes’ creativity and leadership were hailed by many onlookers during the season and he was credited for United’s revival following a poor start to the campaign.
In the women’s category, Shaw, known to all as “Bunny” Shaw, was the winner of her second FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year award after leading Manchester City’s Women’s Super League push. The Jamaican striker has scored 19 goals in 21 games and is also well on his way to a third successive Golden Boot.
Shaw was ahead of Alessia Russo and Lauren James in the voting. Her latest victory adds to a growing record of individual awards that have established her as one of the most formidable forwards in women’s football.
The Football Writers’ Association award is one of the most important awards in English football and is determined by votes from hundreds of football journalists from around England and Wales.
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