Bruno Fernandes Becomes Ninth Man Utd Player to Win English Soccer’s Most Prestigious Award

It has been a remarkable season for the Red Devils captain.

Bruno Fernandes joins an illustrious list. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been named 2025–26’s FWA Footballer of the Year in recognition of his outstanding season.

At this stage of the campaign, with three matches still to play, Fernandes has equaled the Premier League’s single season assist record—his 20th came in last Sunday’s win over Liverpool, tying the record jointly held by Thierry Henry (2002–03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019–20).

Creatively, Fernandes has been head and shoulders above any other player in the division this season and his performances are a huge part of Manchester United’s resurgence.

The FWA award is voted for by football journalists who are members of the Football Writers’ Association. It is presented annually to “the professional player who by precept and example is considered by a ballot of members to be the footballer of the year.”

Goalscorer.
Assist provider.
Award winner.

Presenting @TheOfficialFWA Footballer of the Year for 2025/26: @B_Fernandes8! 🏆❤️ pic.twitter.com/HfDMeepM33

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 8, 2026

FWA Footballer of the Year is one of the big three individual awards each season, alongside PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season. Although not guaranteed, players who win the FWA prize tend to go and claim the other two, as has been the case in each of the last three seasons—Erling Haaland (2022–23), Phil Foden (2023–24) and Mohamed Salah (2024–25).

The football writers do not necessarily always plump for the objectively best player in a season and have been known to consider other qualities or characteristics, underpinning Jordan Henderson’s gong in 2019–20, or Scott Parker in a relegated West Ham United team in 2010–11. But you’d be hard pressed in 2025–26 to find someone who can articulate an argument against Fernandes.

Fernandes is the first Manchester United player to take the FWA vote since Wayne Rooney in 2009– 10. But is the 10th occasion that someone from Old Trafford has won, stretching back to the 1940s. Cristiano Ronaldo is the only two-time winner, making it nine different players overall. Liverpool is the club that holds the record for most FWA awards with 16.

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Every Man Utd Winner of FWA Footballer of the Year

Bruno Fernandes joins an exclusive list. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images

Player	Season
Johnny Carey	1948–49
Bobby Charlton	1965–66
George Best	1967–68
Eric Cantona	1995–96
Roy Keane	1999–00
Teddy Sheringham	2000–01
Cristiano Ronaldo	2006–07
Cristiano Ronaldo	2007–08
Wayne Rooney	2009–10
Bruno Fernandes	2025–26

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FWA Footballer of the Year Winners in the 21st Century

Mohamed Salah was the reigning FWA Footballer of the Year. | Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Player	Club	Season
Roy Keane	Man Utd	1999–00
Teddy Sheringham	Man Utd	2000–01
Robert Pires	Arsenal	2001–02
Thierry Henry	Arsenal	2002–03
Thierry Henry	Arsenal	2003–04
Frank Lampard	Chelsea	2004–05
Thierry Henry	Arsenal	2005–06
Cristiano Ronaldo	Man Utd	2006–07
Cristiano Ronaldo	Man Utd	2007–08
Steven Gerrard	Liverpool	2008–09
Wayne Rooney	Man Utd	2009–10
Scott Parker	West Ham United	2010–11
Robin van Persie	Arsenal	2011–12
Gareth Bale	Tottenham Hotspur	2012–13
Luis Suárez	Liverpool	2013–14
Eden Hazard	Chelsea	2014–15
Jamie Vardy	Leicester City	2015–16
N'Golo Kanté	Chelsea	2016–17
Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	2017–18
Raheem Sterling	Man City	2018–19
Jordan Henderson	Liverpool	2019–20
Rúben Dias	Man City	2020–21
Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	2021–22
Erling Haaland	Man City	2022–23
Phil Foden	Man City	2023–24
Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	2024–25
Bruno Fernandes	Man Utd	2025–26

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