Ballon d’Or 2026: Pogba, Lingard name player who deserve award

Former Manchester United players, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba believe that Bruno Fernandes deserves consideration for the Ballon d’Or this year.

This Video Is Trending Right Now →

Lingard also paid tribute to his ex-teammate, commending Fernandes for his approachability during their time together from 2020 to 2022.

Since the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, Manchester United have shown significant improvement and currently sit third in the Premier League with 58 points from 33 matches.

Fernandes has been instrumental in Manchester United’s resurgence, contributing eight goals and 19 assists in 32 matches across all competitions.

At 31 years old, he is just two assists shy of matching the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season (20), a record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Despite Manchester United’s absence from European competitions this season and their struggles in other tournaments, Lingard and Pogba maintain that Fernandes should be considered for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Lingard remarked to BBC Sport, “His performances at Manchester United this season have been extraordinary. He has to be up there.”

Although Fernandes has had an outstanding individual season, it seems unlikely that he will secure the Ballon d’Or this year.

Players such as Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappe are arguably ahead in the rankings due to their accomplishments this season.

However, Pogba contends that Fernandes would be a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or if he were playing for Manchester City.

The Frenchman expressed to Rio Ferdinand (via BBC Sport), “Bruno Fernandes, in other big clubs, is in the top three Ballon D’or. Do you think Bruno, if he’s in the other team, he’s not in the top three, a Ballon d’Or player? You put him in [Manchester] City, he’s in the Ballon d’Or.

“He’s everywhere on the pitch. He has a volume. He keeps running. He’s smart. He can play two touches, one touch. He can shoot.

“When you don’t win, we don’t think about you.