PFA Player of the Year Award: Full List of Past Winners
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) was formed in 1908, making it one of the oldest football associations in the world, established to protect the rights of English professional footballers.
PFA Player of the Year Award Winners List
The PFA Player of the Year award was introduced in 1974 and has run every year since. It's awarded to the best-performing player in the top division of English football, now the Premier League, as voted for by fellow professionals.
The PFA releases a shortlist of contenders each April, sent to all 20 Premier League clubs so their players can vote for a winner, which is then announced on the last Sunday of April.
PFA Player of the Year 2026
Bruno Fernandes has been voted the 2026 PFA Players' Player of the Year. The Manchester United captain beat a shortlist that included Arsenal's title-winning trio of Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhães and David Raya, alongside Manchester City pair Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki.
Fernandes, who broke the Premier League's single-season assist record with 21, becomes the first United player to win the award since Wayne Rooney in 2010. The winner was announced at the 53rd annual PFA Awards Ceremony, held at The Opera House in Manchester on Tuesday, August 25, with coverage beginning at 4pm BST.
PFA Player of the Year 2025
Mohamed Salah was crowned PFA Players' Player of the Year for 2025, delivering another season built on consistency, leadership and crucial goals for Liverpool across all competitions. The win made Salah the first player in the award's history to win it three times, a mark of his remarkable longevity at the top of the English game.
PFA Player of the Year 2024
Phil Foden claimed the 2024 award, underlining his emergence as one of Manchester City's most important players. The England international's goals, assists and ability to influence the biggest matches set him apart at just 24 years old.
PFA Player of the Year 2023
Erling Haaland won the award in his sensational debut Premier League season, one that fuelled Manchester City to a historic Treble. Haaland scored 52 goals across all competitions that season, including a record 36 in the Premier League alone, with 44 total goal involvements matching a record previously held by Thierry Henry. He made the PFA Team of the Year alongside teammates John Stones, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri.
PFA Player of the Year 2022
Mohamed Salah won the award for the second time in 2022, with Manchester City's Phil Foden taking home the PFA Young Player of the Year prize the same year.
PFA Player of the Year 2021
Kevin De Bruyne won in 2021 ahead of a shortlist that included Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Raheem Sterling, while his Manchester City teammate Phil Foden picked up the Young Player of the Year award.
PFA Player of the Year 2019
Virgil van Dijk won in 2019, with Raheem Sterling, Sadio Mane, Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Eden Hazard among those also nominated.
PFA Player of the Year 2018
Mohamed Salah won the award for the first time in 2018, with Kevin De Bruyne and Harry Kane also nominated.
PFA Player of the Year: Winners Since 2000
| Season | Winner | Country | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Bruno Fernandes | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2024–25 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool |
| 2023–24 | Phil Foden | England | Manchester City |
| 2022–23 | Erling Haaland | Norway | Manchester City |
| 2021–22 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool |
| 2020–21 | Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | Manchester City |
| 2019–20 | Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | Manchester City |
| 2018–19 | Virgil van Dijk | Netherlands | Liverpool |
| 2017–18 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool |
| 2016–17 | N'Golo Kante | France | Chelsea |
| 2015–16 | Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | Leicester City |
| 2014–15 | Eden Hazard | Belgium | Chelsea |
| 2013–14 | Luis Suárez | Uruguay | Liverpool |
| 2012–13 | Gareth Bale | Wales | Tottenham |
| 2011–12 | Robin van Persie | Netherlands | Arsenal |
| 2010–11 | Gareth Bale | Wales | Tottenham |
| 2009–10 | Wayne Rooney | England | Manchester United |
| 2008–09 | Ryan Giggs | Wales | Manchester United |
| 2007–08 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2006–07 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2005–06 | Steven Gerrard | England | Liverpool |
| 2004–05 | John Terry | England | Chelsea |
| 2003–04 | Thierry Henry | France | Arsenal |
| 2002–03 | Thierry Henry | France | Arsenal |
| 2001–02 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Netherlands | Manchester United |
| 2000–01 | Teddy Sheringham | England | Manchester United |
| 1999–00 | Roy Keane | Republic of Ireland | Manchester United |
PFA Player of the Year: Winners 1974–1999
| Season | Winner | Country | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | David Ginola | France | Tottenham |
| 1997–98 | Dennis Bergkamp | Netherlands | Arsenal |
| 1996–97 | Alan Shearer | England | Newcastle United |
| 1995–96 | Les Ferdinand | England | Newcastle United |
| 1994–95 | Alan Shearer | England | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1993–94 | Eric Cantona | France | Manchester United |
| 1992–93 | Paul McGrath | Republic of Ireland | Aston Villa |
| 1991–92 | Gary Pallister | England | Manchester United |
| 1990–91 | Mark Hughes | Wales | Manchester United |
| 1989–90 | David Platt | England | Aston Villa |
| 1988–89 | Mark Hughes | Wales | Manchester United |
| 1987–88 | John Barnes | England | Liverpool |
| 1986–87 | Clive Allen | England | Tottenham |
| 1985–86 | Gary Lineker | England | Everton |
| 1984–85 | Peter Reid | England | Everton |
| 1983–84 | Ian Rush | Wales | Liverpool |
| 1982–83 | Kenny Dalglish | Scotland | Liverpool |
| 1981–82 | Kevin Keegan | England | Southampton |
| 1980–81 | John Wark | Scotland | Ipswich Town |
| 1979–80 | Terry McDermott | England | Liverpool |
| 1978–79 | Liam Brady | Republic of Ireland | Arsenal |
| 1977–78 | Peter Shilton | England | Nottingham Forest |
| 1976–77 | Andy Gray | Scotland | Aston Villa |
| 1975–76 | Pat Jennings | Northern Ireland | Tottenham |
| 1974–75 | Colin Todd | England | Derby County |
| 1973–74 | Norman Hunter | England | Leeds United |
PFA Player of the Year: Multiple Winners
Since the award began, seven players have won it more than once: Mo Salah (3 times), and Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Mark Hughes and Kevin De Bruyne (2 times each).
Only 19 English players have won the award, and Phil Foden, in 2023–24, was the most recent.
PFA Player of the Year: Winners by Country
| Country | Wins | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| England | 19 | 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2023–24 |
| Wales | 6 | 1983–84, 1988–89, 1990–91, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
| France | 5 | 1993–94, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2016–17 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 1997–98, 2001–02, 2011–12, 2018–19 |
| Egypt | 3 | 2017–18, 2021–22, 2024–25 |
| Belgium | 3 | 2014–15, 2019–20, 2020–21 |
| Republic of Ireland | 3 | 1978–79, 1992–93, 1999–00 |
| Portugal | 3 | 2006–07, 2007–08, 2025–26 |
| Scotland | 3 | 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83 |
| Northern Ireland | 1 | 1975–76 |
| Uruguay | 1 | 2013–14 |
| Algeria | 1 | 2015–16 |
| Norway | 1 | 2022–23 |
PFA Player of the Year: Winners by Club
| Club | Wins | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 12 | 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2025–26 |
| Liverpool | 10 | 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 2005–06, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2024–25 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 1975–76, 1986–87, 1998–99, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
| Arsenal | 5 | 1978–79, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2011–12 |
| Manchester City | 4 | 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Chelsea | 3 | 2004–05, 2014–15, 2016–17 |
| Aston Villa | 3 | 1976–77, 1989–90, 1992–93 |
| Everton | 2 | 1984–85, 1985–86 |
| Newcastle United | 2 | 1995–96, 1996–97 |
| Leeds United | 1 | 1973–74 |
| Derby County | 1 | 1974–75 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1 | 1977–78 |
| Ipswich Town | 1 | 1980–81 |
| Southampton | 1 | 1981–82 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1994–95 |
| Leicester City | 1 | 2015–16 |
FAQs on PFA Player of the Year Award Winners
Q1: How is the PFA Player of the Year winner determined?
The winner is decided by a vote among Premier League players. A shortlist of nominees is released in April, and players from all 20 Premier League clubs vote for their preferred candidate.
Q2: Which club has won the most PFA Player of the Year awards?
Manchester United have won the most, with 12 titles.
Q3: Who was the last English player to win the PFA Player of the Year award?
Phil Foden was the most recent English winner, taking the award for the 2023–24 season.
Q4: Which country has produced the most PFA Player of the Year winners outside England?
Wales, with six winners.
