- Bruno Fernandes wins Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award
- 31-year-old secures accolade for fifth time
- Now surpasses legend Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has won the 2025/26 Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year (POTY) award for a fifth time.
The midfielder has had a stellar season at Old Trafford, providing 21 assists across 35 appearances in all competitions. In the Premier League, he is just one assist shy of equalling Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry’s record of 20 with two games to play.
However, at club record, he has reached an all-time high by becoming the man who has won the most club POTY awards five times.
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Fernandes Collects Player of the Year Trophy
The club announced their decision on their website earlier today (15 May) after a fan-led vote unanimously awarded the win to the star midfielder.
The 31-year-old is only the second player to have completed a threepeat of the individual award. Former teammate and goalkeeper David De Gea did so between 2013 and 2016. United wrote that this win was “truly cementing his [Fernandes] place in the pantheon of United greats”.
Fernandes has already won the Football Writers’ Association’s Men’s Footballer of the Year award, securing 45% of the votes. His next stop will be to win the PFA Player of the Year award, nominated alongside the likes of Declan Rice and Erling Haaland.
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Bruno Earns Status Amongst ‘Greats’
As the club so rightly put it, Fernandes joins “United greats” who have won the award on multiple occasions. The likes of Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney have all won the award, which started in 1988.
However, he has surpassed all of these legends in this respect through winning the award for a fifth time. Only De Gea and Cristiano Ronaldo (4) were previously equal. This latest triumph inevitably sparks the debate over whether Fernandes has had a greater individual influence on the Reds than his Portuguese compatriot.
Ronaldo’s first stint was defined by a trophy-laden era under Sir Alex Ferguson. Fernandes has been the main man during one of the most challenging periods in the club’s league history. The midfielder could easily have packed his bags for Saudi Arabia last summer after United’s 15th placed finish under Ruben Amorim.
However, he decided to stay and lead the club in a new era which has resulted in Champions League football. Ronaldo may have had the Premier League titles, Ballon d’Or and the Champions League medal during his time at the club.
In contrast, Fernandes has now carved out a legacy that goes beyond the trophies. He stayed even when Ronaldo didn’t in his second spell. The superstar decided to publicly revolt and move to Saudi Arabia instead, which tarnished his overall legacy.
