Manchester City’s Yui Hasegawa and Khadija Shaw headline the 2025-26 PFA Women’s Player of the Year Nominations.
Shaw netted 27 goals and created seven assists in 32 appearances as she led Man City to a domestic Women’s Super League and Women’s FA Cup double, during which she opened the scoring in the final of the latter competition as City recovered from a slow start to beat Brighton 4-0 at Wembley Stadium, London.
The 29 year-old also claimed her third consecutive Golden Boot in the WSL in a season where no forward has matched her consistency.
Hasegawa’s nomination comes after a solid season as City’s midfield anchor although she also contributed two goals and assists apiece in 26 total appearances.
Arsenal’s Alessia Russo though is expected to be Shaw’s closest challenger after she produced 24 goals and eight assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
Aston Villa’s Kirsty Hanson has been nominated after she finished as the WSL’s third-highest goalscorer with 12 goals, in a campaign which saw Villa finish ninth in the table.
Chelsea’s Lauren James and Manchester United’s Jess Park rounds off the nominations for the main award.
Arsenal winger, Olivia Smith is the favourite to win the PFA Young Women’s Player of the Year after she managed 10 goals and three assists in 38 total appearances.
She however faces tough competition from fellow London-based opposition with Chelsea’s Veerle Buurman, Alyssa Thompson, London City Lionesses’ Freya Godfrey and Tottenham’s Toko Koga also nominated.
WSL Rising Star winner, Buurman is nominated after she enjoyed a breakthrough season with one goal and two assists in 23 appearances.
Thompson registered nine goals and three assists in 33 appearances in a successful first campaign away from American soil, despite Chelsea’s disappointing season overall which saw them finish third in WSL but win the Women’s League Cup.
Godfrey delivered six goals and four assists in 22 appearances as London City Lionesses enjoyed a solid debut WSL campaign as they finished sixth in the table.
Koga managed two goals and one assist for Tottenham in her first season of English Women’s Football.
Man City’s Laura Blindkilde Brown is the only non London-based nominee in the category after she produced one goal and assist apiece in 26 appearances.
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