Pogba's HUGE Statement: Bruno Fernandes Would Be In Ballon D'Or Contention If He Played For Man City

Last Updated:April 23, 2026, 12:44 IST

Paul Pogba says Bruno Fernandes is held back at Manchester United, claims he would be a Ballon d'Or contender at Manchester City and deserves mention with De Bruyne and Modric.

Paul Pogba has suggested that star midfielder Bruno Fernandes is being held back at Manchester United and could become a Ballon d’Or contender if he moved to another club, such as Manchester City, who have been on a title-winning spree in European football in recent years.

Pogba, now at AS Monaco, was speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Podcast when he argued that the narrative around the Portugal international would be very different if he played for Manchester City, who completed a treble, including the UEFA Champions League, in the 2022-23 season.

Bruno For Ballon d’Or?

Speaking on the podcast, Pogba was quoted as saying: “Can Bruno Fernandes do more than he does now at United? Do you think if Bruno is in another team, he is not in the top three [for the Ballon d’Or] player? For me, you put him at City, he is in the [final] three for the Ballon d’Or. Bruno Fernandes, with the stats, the season, the way he plays and everything…"

He stressed that major individual awards are usually dominated by players whose teams win the biggest trophies in European football, adding: “But when you do not win, we do not even think about it. It’s like that. This is life. This is football."

Bruno Fernandes For Man Utd

Fernandes has contributed to 211 goals for Manchester United but is yet to win either the Premier League or the UEFA Champions League with the club, having lifted only the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup since his debut in 2020.

Manchester United last won the Premier League in 2012-13 and the UEFA Champions League in 2007-08. In the current Premier League season, United are third with 16 wins, 10 draws and 7 losses, giving them 58 points. However, they remain well behind leaders Arsenal (70 points) and second-placed Manchester City (67 points), with only a slim chance of winning the title.

Bruno In The League Of Modric, Ozil & De Bruyne

Pogba also said that the 31-year-old Fernandes deserves to be mentioned alongside serial trophy winners such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric and Mesut Ozil.

“We talk about Kevin De Bruyne. We talk about Luka Modric, talk about Mesut Ozil. Talk about stats, stats. He scored more than Frank Lampard in the season, as the same position, eight, 10, you know. He does more assists. He is everywhere on the pitch. He has a volume. He keeps running. He is smart. He can play two touches, one touch. He can shoot," he concluded.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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