Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw were crowned winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year award.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City forward Khadija "Bunny" Shaw have been officially named Footballers of the Year 2025-2026 by the Football Writers' Association. These prestigious awards recognize their outstanding individual performances: Fernandes has continued a long tradition at Old Trafford, while Shaw has cemented her status as a prolific icon in the Women's Super League.

The Red Devils and the Citizens win

Fernandes became the first Manchester United player to win the men's award since Wayne Rooney in 2010, following a sensational season that saw him score eight goals and provide 19 assists in the Premier League. He beat Declan Rice (Arsenal) and Erling Haaland (Manchester City) to the top spot, having secured Manchester United's return to the Champions League. Meanwhile, Shaw was named Women's Footballer of the Year after leading City to their first WSL title in ten years with 19 league goals.

In pursuit of legendary records

This FWA award caps a season in which both players came close to setting historic records. At 31, Fernandes is now just one assist away from the Premier League record of 20 assists in a single season, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. In the women's game, Shaw edged out Alessia Russo and Lauren James to join Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby as the only players to have won this trophy twice.

Bruno achieves elite status as Shaw prepares to leave

By winning this title, Fernandes joins a prestigious list of Manchester United icons, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, George Best, and Sir Bobby Charlton. His influence has been the main driving force behind the club's resurgence this season.

Conversely, despite her crucial role in City's title win, Shaw is expected to leave the club when her contract expires this summer. With 110 goals in 133 appearances, she is reportedly attracting significant interest from Chelsea and several American clubs.

Record attempts and transfer sagas

Fernandes has three matches to break the all-time assist record and further bolster Manchester United's final standings. Meanwhile, Shaw is aiming for a third consecutive WSL Golden Boot before his expected departure from the Joie Stadium this summer. His potential move to a domestic rival or a lucrative move to the United States is likely to be a hot topic in the upcoming transfer window. At the same time, both Manchester clubs are preparing for a period of transition, looking to capitalize on these individual performances for next season.