The debate over individual awards in soccer has reignited following comments made by Paul Pogba. The French midfielder, who currently plays for Monaco, argued that the team context in which each player operates influences the evaluation of award winners, citing the example of Bruno Fernandes.
According to Pogba, who played alongside the Portuguese player in 79 matches, Fernandes would have a much better chance of competing for the Ballon d’Or if he played for Manchester City instead of Manchester United.
Pogba believes Fernandes should move to another team
During his appearance on the podcast “Rio Ferdinand Presents,” (via GOAL) the 33-year-old wondered if Fernandes could contribute more, and in answering this question, Pogba asserted that the 31-year-old Portuguese player would have a better chance of competing for the Ballon d’Or if he played under Pep Guardiola-known for titles and prominence-and would further enhance his global standing:
Can Bruno Fernandes contribute more than he already does at United? Do you think that if he played for another team, he wouldn’t be among the top three for the Ballon d’Or? If he were at City, he’d be among the finalists. With his stats and his play, he’d deserve it. But if you don’t win, nobody considers you. That’s life and that’s soccer.
Despite his consistency and impressive numbers -he has been involved in 211 goals in just 322 matches- the Red Devils’ captain has failed to translate that performance into major individual accolades, partly due to a lack of major titles with the club, having won only one FA Cup and one Carabao Cup.
Despite this, he was named Premier League Player of the Month in March 2026, tying Cristiano Ronaldo with six such awards, and has tallied 8 goals and 18 assists in the league this season, putting him just two shy of matching the all-time record held by Henry and De Bruyne (20).
In this regard, Pogba compared Fernandes to De Bruyne, Luka Modric, and Mesut Özil: “Let’s talk about statistics: he’s scored more than Frank Lampard in a season from the same position-eight or ten goals; he provides more assists, he’s everywhere, he has a high work rate, he never stops running, he’s intelligent, and he knows how to play with two touches, one touch, and shoot,” the French star noted.
Meanwhile, Bruno has a contract through June 2027, with an option to extend for one more year. He is now preparing to face Brentford at Old Trafford on Monday, April 27. The Premier League match-in which United currently sits third in the standings-is scheduled to kick off at 3:00 PM ET.
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