BRUNO FERNANDES CLAIMS PFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRIZE AS MAN CITY FORWARD BUNNY SHAW WINS WOMEN'S AWARD

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been named the 2025-26 PFA Players' Player of the Year after breaking the Premier League assists record. Meanwhile, Manchester City striker Bunny Shaw secured the women's prize for the second time, and Nico O'Reilly won the Young Player award on a memorable night that celebrated the outstanding performers of the season.

Record-breaking season for Fernandes

Fernandes was crowned the men's PFA Players' Player of the Year following an incredible individual campaign for Manchester United, as reported by Sky Sports.

He broke the all-time record for Premier League assists, setting up 21 goals to surpass Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. He also scored nine times to help Manchester United secure a third-place finish and earn a return to the Champions League under manager Michael Carrick.

Consequently, Fernandes is the first Manchester United player to win the prestigious trophy since Wayne Rooney in the 2009-10 season, adding this prize to the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award he won in May.

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Pride in peer recognition

Reacting to the achievement, Fernandes expressed his delight at being recognised by his fellow professionals across the division. Fernandes said: "It is obviously a very proud moment. They are the ones you go on the pitch against and it's probably not easy to vote for someone you play against, so it is a very good moment."

In the women's game, Shaw scooped the PFA Women's Player of the Year award for the second time, claiming the trophy after scoring 21 goals to win a third straight Golden Boot and her first Women's Super League title with Manchester City.

Youth stars and merit awards

O'Reilly was named the Men's PFA Young Player of the Year after an outstanding campaign that saw him help England win World Cup bronze. O'Reilly said: "I had a great season. I'm very proud of the season I had. I won two trophies with my club and managed to play at the World Cup with my country. I'm over the moon how it turned out."

Meanwhile, Arsenal prospect Olivia Smith picked up the women's PFA Young Player of the Year title for the second consecutive campaign. Elsewhere, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Karen Carney received the PFA merit awards for their outstanding lifetime contributions to football.

AFP

What comes next for the winners?

Manchester United have a busy schedule ahead as Fernandes prepares to lead his team in their highly anticipated Champions League return. Manchester City and Shaw will focus on defending their Women's Super League crown when the new season kicks off.

- Moataz Elgammal

MO SALAH MAKES PFA HISTORY AS ISAK SKIPS CEREMONY AMIDST TRANSFER ROW

 

Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

August 20, 2025

Mohamed Salah, undoubtedly a household name for Liverpool fans, has once again made history by becoming the first-ever player to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award three times.

The Egyptian forward was already part of an elite group of double winners featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry, but now stands alone at the top with three wins.

In the standout 2024/25 Premier League season, Salah was instrumental in Liverpool’s title win, finishing as the league’s top goalscorer with 29 goals and providing 18 assists.

Elsewhere, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the game, the PFA Merit Award was presented to Sir Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes.

Southgate was honoured for his tenure as England manager, leading the team to multiple finals and markedly elevating the national side’s performance.

Quietly but meaningfully, Hayes was recognised for her long-term impact in women’s football, having led Chelsea to sustained success in the WSL and becoming one of the domestic game’s most influential managers before taking up a new role as the Head Coach of the United States Women’s National Team.

Aston Villa’s dynamic midfielder Morgan Rogers took home the PFA Men’s Young Player of the Year award, capping off a breakthrough campaign. His performances marked him as one of the most exciting emerging talents in English football.

Meanwhile, Mariona Caldentey was named Women’s Player of the Year. Olivia Smith — a rising star who will play alongside Caldentey at Arsenal this season after becoming the first £1m transfer in women’s football — clinched Women’s Young Player of the Year.

Liverpool dominated the Premier League Team of the Year selections, with Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch all making the cut.

Also in the team was Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who was prolific in the Magpies’ recent domestic success and proved instrumental in their 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

However, the 25-year-old — who has been linked with a big-money move to Liverpool — took to social media on Tuesday night, openly stating that he was not attending the awards ceremony because “with everything going on, it didn’t feel right to be there”.

In response to Isak’s statement, Newcastle United reiterated that the forward “remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.”

- Adam Ingoe

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FIFPRO, PFA THREATEN CLUB WORLD CUP PLAYERS STRIKE

 Players have warned world soccer's governing body FIFA that they are ready to go on strike over concerns the playing calendar is overloaded, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said Thursday, while global players' union FIFPRO is leading a joint lawsuit with several European leagues, including LaLiga and the Premier League.

Two days before the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in London, the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A and the PFA met to study measures to counteract FIFA's intention to increase the number of matches that footballers will have to endure next season with the imminent new Club World Cup.

PFA CEO Maheta Molango, who has been calling for change since February, believes players have reached a breaking point. He says football's packed schedule endangers players' health and diminishes the quality of the sport.

"I can tell you a situation not 10 days ago where I went into a dressing room that was directly affected and said: 'I'm happy to be here and bark a bit, but ultimately it's up to you. How far do you want to go?"' Molango said on Thursday.

"Some of them said: 'I'm not having it, we might as well go on strike.' Some said: 'What's the point? Yes, I'm a millionaire, but I don't even have time to spend the money.'"

Demands on players have increased in recent years, as tournaments expanded and new competitions emerged, with players and managers saying that the calendar demanded too many matches.

"It was not even the union that said it, it was Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. We have reached a point where we cannot rule out any action," Molango said.

Global players' union FIFPRO, along with the PFA and the World Leagues Association (WLA), continue to threaten legal action if FIFA does not change course.

In a letter addressed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Mattias Grafstrom, they expressed their concerns over the expansion of the new 32-team Club World Cup.

In response, FIFA denied their claims it had taken unilateral decisions to favour its competitions in the international calendar and would not consider rescheduling the tournament.

"Some of the changes in England with the domestic calendar have been forced by what FIFA and UEFA have done. What has happened is further confirmation that something needs to be done," Molango said.

"We will always try to exhaust all diplomatic avenues, we have sent a letter, we have received a reply, but unfortunately time is against us. Sometimes between grown-up people, despite trying very hard to find solutions you need a third party to decide, maybe an arbitrator or a tribunal."

Information from Reuters was used in this story.

- ESPN News Services

PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS AGREE SPENDING CAP, COULD BEGIN 2025

Chelsea abstained from the Premier League shareholders' meeting vote on implementing a spending cap. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

 Premier League clubs have taken a step towards implementing a spending cap, voting on Monday for the league to complete the economic and legal analysis needed for such a model.

The model will be presented to clubs before a final vote at the league's Annual General Meeting in June at the earliest, British media reported. It would replace the existing Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) from 2025-26.

The cap would limit how much clubs can spend in a bid to prevent the super-rich teams from dominating the league amid concerns over a growing gulf between the haves and have-nots.

The cap, discussed at a Premier League shareholders' meeting on Monday, would be based on how much money the lowest-earning club in the English top flight makes from television rights and could come into effect as early as the 2025-26 season.

"We will obviously wait to see further details of these specific proposals, but we have always been clear that we would oppose any measure that would place a 'hard' cap on player wages," the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said.

"There is an established process in place to ensure that proposals like this, which would directly impact our members, have to be properly consulted on," the statement added.

Media reports said 16 clubs voted in favour of the league pursuing a salary cap, with Chelsea abstaining and Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa dissenting.

Manchester City face over 100 charges of allegedly breaching the league's financial rules. The club have denied wrongdoing.

Everton were deducted 10 points in November, reduced to six on appeal, before they received a second deduction to take their points loss to eight for breaching PSR. Nottingham Forest, were deducted four points, and have also appealed.

Premier League clubs had agreed in principle to introduce new financial rules next season, voting in April for squad cost ratio rules to replace PSR, which allows clubs to lose £105 million ($131.93m) in a three-season period.

Clubs will likely be limited to spending 85% of their revenue on transfers, wages and agents' fees if the new rules are adopted at the AGM in June.

PSR will still be in place next season with a transition period in 2024-25, as will points deductions, which will also remain part of the new rules once adopted.

- Reuters 

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