Antoine Semenyo named in 2026 PFA Premier League Team of the Year

Antoine Semenyo has capped a remarkable 2025/26 campaign by earning a place in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Premier League Team of the Year. The Ghana international was named in the prestigious XI on Tuesday, August 25, after an outstanding season that further established him among the league’s elite performers.

Semenyo is the only Ghanaian included in the 11-man selection and becomes the first player from Ghana to be named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year. His selection is particularly significant because the team is voted for by fellow professional footballers, making the recognition a strong endorsement of his performances from the players he competed against throughout the season.

The forward was rewarded after finishing the Premier League campaign with 17 goals. His impressive tally helped him surpass Tony Yeboah’s previous record of 12 goals for the most goals scored by a Ghanaian in a single Premier League season, a mark associated with Yeboah’s 1994/95 and 1995/96 campaigns.

Semenyo started the season at Bournemouth before making a January move to Manchester City after the club triggered his release clause. He had already scored 10 league goals and registered three assists for Bournemouth before the transfer, and quickly made an impact after arriving at the Etihad, scoring on his FA Cup debut and finding the net in each of his first two appearances for City.

The Ghanaian forward was selected alongside some of the Premier League’s biggest names in the PFA XI. David Raya was chosen in goal, with Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba and Nico O’Reilly forming the defence. Bruno Fernandes, Declan Rice and Rayan Cherki occupied the midfield, while Semenyo joined Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago in attack.

The PFA recognition adds another major achievement to an exceptional season for Semenyo, who was also named in the Premier League’s Fan Team of the Season. His rise from Bournemouth to Manchester City, coupled with his record-breaking goalscoring campaign and recognition from his fellow professionals, underlines the growing influence of the Ghana star on the English top flight.

Written By: Promise