Bruno Fernandes has now won Manchester United’s Player of the Year award more times than any other player in the club’s history, after the Portuguese captain secured his fifth Sir Matt Busby trophy for the 2025/26 season. He has now also surpassed the previous record of four wins held jointly by David de Gea and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fernandes first claimed the award in 2020, his debut season after arriving from Sporting CP. He won again in 2021 before Marcus Rashford and Ronaldo took the prize in the following years. Fernandes returned to the top of the fan vote in 2024 and has now won three consecutive awards for the first time in his career.
His 19 league assists this season place him one short of the all-time Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. He has also scored eight goals in 33 league appearances.
The numbers behind the record
The 31-year-old has recorded 28 goal contributions in all competitions across 33 games this season. He has already reached 100 goals and 100 assists for United in record time, achieving the milestone in only 319 matches.
Fernandes leads the league in chances created with 124 this term, the fourth-highest tally in a single Premier League campaign.
What the award means
The Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year is voted on exclusively by United supporters, making it distinct from the Players’ Player of the Year award. Fernandes has now won it for the second straight season and fifth time overall since joining the club in January 2020. He has become the definitive star of the post-Ferguson era at Old Trafford.
A resurgent season
Fernandes has thrived since Michael Carrick took over as interim manager mid-season. He played in all 15 matches under Carrick, scoring three goals and providing 12 assists, as United climbed to third place and secured Champions League qualification for the first time in three years.
The Portuguese has also won the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award, adding to his growing collection of individual honours.
The emotional connection
Fernandes said the award meant more because it comes directly from the supporters who have believed in him. He praised the relationship between the squad and the fanbase, stating that their belief pushes the players to achieve great things every season.
He said the fans give the team the belief that they are capable of big things, and that when the fans have that belief, they push the players to achieve them every season.
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A modern great
Fernandes has now won the Sir Matt Busby award in 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, and 2026. His five wins place him above De Gea and Ronaldo, who each won four times. He joins a list of multiple winners that includes Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Brian McClair, but none have reached five.
With two league games remaining, Fernandes needs one more assist to break the Premier League’s single-season record. United face Nottingham Forest at home and Brighton away, offering two final chances for the captain to add another historic achievement to his record-breaking season.
