Arsenal star Declan Rice joined leading Premier League players and managers in Manchester on Tuesday night for the annual Professional Footballers' Association Awards ceremony.
The ceremony at the Opera House Theatre brought together key figures from across English football to celebrate individual and team achievements. Premier League champions Arsenal were represented on the red carpet by a five-man delegation comprising David Raya, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Rice. The quintet will hope to feature in the PFA Team of the Year, while also competing for the prestigious PFA Player of the Year accolade.
Arsenal secured their attendance following a campaign in which they pursued the league title alongside Manchester City, whom they subsequently defeated in the Community Shield two Sundays ago. City sent their own trio of representatives to the Manchester event, with Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki and Nico O'Reilly arriving on the red carpet.
Semenyo enjoyed a prolific season split between Bournemouth and City last term. Meanwhile, 21-year-old City academy graduate O'Reilly enjoyed a breakout campaign that culminated in selection for England head coach Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad, which reached the semi-finals. O'Reilly is considered the favourite to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award, with national team boss Tuchel also present in the crowd on Tuesday.
Manchester United transfers and Bruno Fernandes awards search
City's local rivals Manchester United were represented at the bash by head coach Michael Carrick, chief executive officer Omar Berrada and team captain Bruno Fernandes. Carrick and Berrada spent the day completing the £70million transfer of midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton and Hove Albion before heading to the Opera House Theatre.
Baleba has been recruited to add dynamism to United's midfield, playing directly behind Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder is among the leading contenders for the PFA Player of the Year award following a remarkable 2025-26 campaign in which he broke the Premier League record for most assists in a single season, recording 21.
Fernandes has already received major individual honors this year, having won the Football Writers' Association men's Footballer of the Year award in May alongside being named Premier League player of the season. A victory at Tuesday night's ceremony, with awards set to be announced come 9pm, would complete a clean sweep of major individual accolades for the United captain.
Liverpool legend and women's football representation
Liverpool icon Kenny Dalglish also walked the red carpet, attending the ceremony alongside his wife Marina.
The women's game was prominently represented in Manchester by Arsenal Women squad members Alessia Russo, Mariona Caldentey, Emily Fox and Olivia Smith, who attended the event together.
Former England international Lionesses Karen Carney, Eni Aluko, Jordan Nobbs and Toni Duggan were also in attendance at the Opera House Theatre. They joined a host of former male professional footballers in the crowd, including Mikael Silvestre, Sebastian Bassong, Ashley Young, Asmir Begovic and Kolo Toure.
Former players demand FIFA leadership structural change
Former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Silvestre hit the headlines on Monday after publicly calling on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to stand down. Silvestre, who serves on FIFA's 16-strong Players' Voice Panel formed to advise on initiatives tackling racism, posted a statement on X demanding structural change and stating: "Enough is enough!"
The post was shared by France 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit and Lioness Lucy Bronze. Infantino, 56, is also facing calls to quit from UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin following a controversial proposal to sell stakes in a company set up to run the World Cup to private investors.
Players have increasingly spoken out against Infantino, with Monday's statement reflecting those who "share the exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world" regarding governance under current FIFA leadership.
"Like them, we have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under FIFA's current leadership," the statement read. "For too long we've seen major decisions taken without players being consulted or considered, and without any regard for the fans who sustain the sport. Change is necessary. Power has blurred the current leadership's ability to distinguish between its own interests and what is best for football."
Silvestre's intervention is particularly significant given his role within FIFA's advisory panel. The joint statement concluded with a direct call for stakeholders to reform the sport.
"Recent events have made silence impossible. Enough is enough. We call on all stakeholders to step forward and help reshape the future of our sport," the statement added.
