Melbourne City captain and CommBank Socceroos full-back Aziz Behich has been voted 2025 Austraffic PFA Men’s Footballer of the Year.
Behich earned the prestigious peer-voted honour after helping City win the Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 Championship at the expense of rivals Melbourne Victory, while leading Australia to qualification for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The PFA Men’s Footballer of the Year award honours the male player who, in the eyes of fellow
PFA members, has demonstrated outstanding skill, consistency and impact across club and international duty.
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Behich took home the award after receiving the most votes ahead of fellow nominees Martin Boyle (Hibernian, Socceroos), Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli, Socceroos), Aberdeen attacker and 2024-25 Johnny Warren Medallist Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney Wanderers, Socceroos), Alex
Paulsen (Auckland FC, New Zealand), and KV Mechelen Ryan Teague (Melbourne Victory, Socceroos). Note: Teams in brackets represent clubs players were playing for at the time of nomination.
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“It’s a massive honour,” Behich said of the award as City prepare to kick-off their title defence against Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday night. “It’s always nice to get an individual award but this is extra special because it’s voted by your teammates and fellow peers and opposition players as well.
“To get that recognition from them just makes it more special. To win the (A-League) Championship on the last day (of the season) was amazing.
“It was the first time captaining the club, so it was extra special for me.
“I’ve always said that this club means a lot, and I’ve always wanted to repay the club in some way, and that was with a trophy.”
At international level, Behich helped the Socceroos punch their ticket to next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Behich’s stunning 90th-minute strike upstaged Japan in June’s crucial World Cup qualifier, while it snapped Australia’s 10-game drought against Samurai Blue, dating back to 2009.
He follows in the footsteps of Irvine, Craig Goodwin, Tom Rogic, Jamie Maclaren, Mat
Ryan, Aaron Mooy, Mile Jedinak, Robbie Kruse, Brett Holman, Matt McKay, Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill in winning the PFA award.
“It was a difficult campaign to qualify, but the game against Japan is something I will never forget, [it was] one of my best goals in the Green and Gold,” he added.
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