​Official: Bruno Fernandes Named FWA Player of the Year, Edges Out Rice by Narrow Margin

May 9 – Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been named the 2026 Football Writers' Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year.

FWA Official Announcement:

Bruno Fernandes has been named Men's Footballer of the Year, while Khadija "Bunny" Shaw has been named Women's Footballer of the Year for the second time – as revealed at the Football Writers' Association annual awards ceremony.

United captain Fernandes is enjoying the best season of his career. With three league matches remaining, he needs just one more assist to break the Premier League record (20 assists in a single season). In one of the most tightly contested races for this prestigious individual award, the Portuguese midfielder finished 28 votes ahead of runner-up Declan Rice. Manchester City's Erling Haaland finished third.

Fernandes received 45% of the vote from the FWA's more than 900 members. He was the only United player nominated, while Arsenal's votes were split among Rice, David Raya, Gabriel, and Bukayo Saka.

Wayne Rooney was the last Manchester United player to win the award in 2010, which has been presented since 1947. Fernandes has contributed 19 assists in the Premier League this season, putting him on track to break the record currently held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Inspired by the rejuvenated Fernandes, Manchester United have climbed to third place in the Premier League table. Thanks to their captain's outstanding performances (including eight league goals), United have now secured Champions League qualification for next season. Fernandes has been involved in 27 goals so far, compared to Rice's nine (4 goals, 5 assists).

In the women's award, Jamaican forward Bunny Shaw won the vote convincingly. She led Manchester City to their first Women's Super League title in a decade, scoring 19 goals in 21 matches as they won the league and she again claimed the Golden Boot. She was also named Women's Footballer of the Year in 2024.