Bruno Fernandes has been named the 2026 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association after narrowly beating Declan Rice to the prestigious honour.
The Manchester United FC captain secured 45 per cent of the votes cast by football writers across England, finishing just 28 votes ahead of the Arsenal FC midfielder.
Fernandes becomes the first Manchester United player to win the award since Wayne Rooney claimed it in 2010.
Erling Haaland finished third in the voting, while Arsenal stars David Raya, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhães also received notable support.
The Portugal international has enjoyed an impressive campaign, recording eight league goals and emerging as a key figure in United’s push for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Fernandes is also on the verge of matching the Premier League’s single-season assist record, needing just one more assist to equal the tally of 20 jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
United’s resurgence this season followed the January exit of former manager Ruben Amorim, with interim boss Michael Carrick guiding the team back into Champions League contention.
The FWA Footballer of the Year award, first introduced in 1948, recognises the player considered to have made the biggest impact both on and off the pitch. Fernandes is now the 10th Manchester United player to receive the honour, joining club legends such as Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the women’s category, Khadija Shaw, popularly known as Bunny Shaw, won the award after scoring 19 goals to help Manchester City W.F.C. secure the Women’s Super League title.
The Jamaican forward claimed the prize for the second time after previously winning it in 2023.
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