Bruno Fernandes has been named among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or after a record-breaking season for Manchester United.
United confirmed the nomination on Tuesday, with the news arriving on the captain’s 32nd birthday. Fernandes joins the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal on the shortlist for football’s biggest individual prize.
The recognition completes another remarkable run of individual honours for Fernandes following arguably his finest campaign at Old Trafford.
Man United's Bruno Fernandes in 2026:
▪️PFA Players' Player of the Year
▪️Premier League Player of the Season
▪️Premier League Playmaker of the Season
▪️Ballon d'Or nomination
Baller 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mMVEOJo0Fd
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 8, 2026
Fernandes rewarded after record Man Utd season
Fernandes produced 21 Premier League assists in 2025/26, breaking the previous single-season competition record held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
He also scored nine league goals as United finished third and secured their return to the Champions League.
That form has already earned him the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, with ReadManUtd previously covering how Fernandes followed his PFA success with a hat-trick and assist against Ipswich.
Fernandes was also named United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for a record fifth time after a season in which he remained Michael Carrick’s main creative influence.
Those numbers give the United captain a credible claim to being among the standout performers in European football over the period being judged.
The nomination is therefore much more than recognition based on reputation.
Fernandes combined elite creative output with durability and leadership while helping Carrick’s side return to Europe’s top competition.
ReadManUtd has also detailed how Fernandes broke the Premier League’s single-season assist record, moving beyond Henry and De Bruyne with his 21st assist on the final day.
When is the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony?
The winner will be announced at the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October.
It will be the first Ballon d’Or ceremony staged in London, with the event marking the award’s 70th anniversary and paying tribute to inaugural winner Stanley Matthews.
Fernandes faces formidable competition for the trophy, but simply making the 30-man shortlist provides another measure of just how significant his 2025/26 season was.
United return to Champions League action against Sabah on Thursday, giving Fernandes an immediate chance to begin building another campaign worthy of similar recognition.
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