Paul Pogba: 'Bruno Fernandes would be a Ballon d'Or contender if...'

Paul Pogba unexpectedly defends Bruno Fernandes, stating that the MU star is of sufficient caliber to compete for the Ballon d'Or if he played for a bigger club, where trophies are no longer a barrier.

Paul Pogba has spoken out to defend Bruno Fernandes amid the wave of controversy at Manchester United, while affirming that the Portuguese midfielder could absolutely become a Ballon d'Or contender if he played in a more favorable environment.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand's podcast, Pogba believes Fernandes' current situation is quite similar to his own past at Old Trafford, where individual contributions were sometimes overshadowed by the team's underwhelming collective results.

Pogba said: “I don't want to compare, but could Bruno do more than what he's already doing at Man United? If Bruno were at another club, would he be in the Ballon d'Or top three? For me, if he played for Man City, he would definitely be there.”

Pogba's viewpoint is not without basis. Fernandes is experiencing an impressive individual season, with his assists and goal contributions consistently ranking among the top in the Premier League. He recently increased his total assists to 18 after contributing to Matheus Cunha's goal in the victory over Chelsea, and he has a real chance to break the single-season assist record.

Nevertheless, like Pogba before, Fernandes frequently becomes the focal point of criticism whenever the team performs poorly. According to the former French midfielder, this is an inevitable consequence when a top player performs in an unstable collective: “When you don't win, people don't think about you. That's football,” Pogba candidly shared.

He also did not hesitate to rank Fernandes alongside world-class midfielders like Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, or Mesut Ozil, while emphasizing the completeness of the Portuguese star's playing style: “He can do everything. Runs tirelessly, intelligent, plays one-touch, finishes well. Those who understand football will always respect Bruno,” Pogba added.

Pogba's statement once again sparks debate about whether Manchester United is wasting one of Europe's finest creative midfielders currently, or whether the real issue lies in the club's structure and ambitions.