Mohamed Salah has become the first three-time winner of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year award with the Liverpool forward eclipsing two-time winners Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Gareth Bale by claiming the 2025 award.
Salah, who was previously voted the Player of the Year in 2018 and 2022, emerged as the winner from a six-player shortlist including Liverpool teammate Alexis Mac Allister, Chelsea‘s Cole Palmer, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers was voted as the PFA Young Player of the Year — Villa’s first winner since James Milner in 2010 — ahead of fellow nominees Liam Delap (Ipswich / Chelsea), Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri (both Arsenal), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth / Liverpool) and Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth / Real Madrid).
Salah received the PFA trophy at a gala presentation in Manchester on Tuesday, with the Egypt international winning the award, as voted by his fellow players, after scoring 29 goals in Liverpool’s Premier League title winning campaign last season.
“I look at myself now, a guy coming from Egypt and making it to the top level, making history today, it’s something that makes me so proud,” Salah said as he was presented with the award at a ceremony in Manchester.
The 33-year-old’s goal in Liverpool’s 4-2 win against Bournemouth in the opening game of the 2025-26 league season last Friday took him to 187 Premier League goals, moving him into joint fourth position in the all-time standings alongside former Newcastle and Manchester United forward Andy Cole.
After a busy summer of transfers at Anfield but also the tragic death of Diogo Jota, Salah was asked if this season’s team is even stronger than last year’s.
“No,” Salah said with a smile. “You can’t say yes or no, it’s tricky. You’re signing very good talent and also we let some great players leave and you also know what happened with one our teammates.
“So you need to give your experience to the new players because they’ve never played for Liverpool and playing for Liverpool is not easy at all, with all the media and everything at the club. It’s a huge pressure for the young players.
“Virgil [van Dijk], me and all the guys in the team try to give them the experience to help them.”
Salah had previously been one of seven players to have won the PFA Player of the Year award on two occasions.
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Salah had previously been one of seven players to have won the PFA Player of the Year award on two occasions.
Alongside Salah, Henry (2003 & 2004), Ronaldo (2007 & 2008) and Bale (2011 & 2013) were joined by Kevin De Bruyne ( 2020 & 2021), Alan Shearer (1995 & 1997) and former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes (1989 & 1991) on the list of double winners.
Liverpool also dominated the PFA Premier League Team of the Year with four players — Salah, Mac Allister, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch earning selection. For the first time since 2017, no Manchester City player was selected for the team of the year.
Information from PA was used in this report.
