Christian Eriksen has criticised the role that former Manchester United players in the media can play in increasing pressure on the current squad. The Denmark international, who is now at Wolfsburg after leaving Old Trafford in the summer, told ESPN that negative commentary from high-profile ex-players can make life harder for those still at the club.

“You see how big the club is, how much people want to be involved with the club, even on the media attention. I think even now we speak about United here. It’s just the power of the club,” Eriksen said. He added: “Obviously the more opinionated, the more feelings towards the club are negative, the tougher it is, because the fans follow their heroes on the TV and it doesn’t help the players at the club.”

Eriksen also called for a more measured assessment of United’s recent record. The club have not won the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 but have continued to collect domestic and European cup trophies more frequently than many rivals. The Red Devils picked up the FA Cup little over a year ago and the League Cup the season before that. There have been other FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League successes, making it five trophies in the last 12 years. In pure numbers, it’s only two fewer trophies than Liverpool, albeit not similar Premier League or Champions League successes, and one more than Arsenal.

“I think obviously [fans] want to get back to being stable as a top club, but even being there, winning the FA Cup and the Carabao in the last two seasons is something that any other club would be proud of to have done,” Eriksen said. “Then there is also the size and the image and the feeling at United—it’s like it’s not good enough. I think hopefully that will change. Even the Carabao is a small thing, but at that moment it is a big thing.”

His comments underline the tension between a club’s global profile and the expectations placed on players by supporters influenced by media voices.

The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony produced notable upheaval across the men’s rankings, with Ousmane Dembélé claiming the main prize for the first time and becoming just the sixth French player to win. The winner had never been shortlisted for the award until 2025. On the women’s side Aitana Bonmatí secured a third-straight Ballon d’Or Féminin, matching Lionel Messi as the only other player to win the Ballon d’Or three times in a row. First-time winners in the women’s game for the Kopa, Yashin and Gerd Müller awards were Vicky López, Hannah Hampton and Ewa Pajor.

Comparing the 2024 and 2025 shortlists highlights large movements. Cole Palmer rose from 25th to 8th for Chelsea, an increase of 17 places. Vitinha moved from 27th to 3rd for PSG, a jump of 24 spots. Several players who were unranked in 2024 entered high positions in 2025: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG) to 1st, Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) to 4th, Raphinha (Barcelona) to 5th, Achraf Hakimi (PSG) to 6th, Pedri (Barcelona) to 11th, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG) to 12th and Scott McTominay (Napoli) to 18th.

There were sizeable declines as well. Rodri (Man City) and Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) fell off the 2025 shortlist entirely after seasons disrupted by injury. Rodri, notably, was on crutches when he accepted his 2024 award. Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) dropped from 2nd to 16th, Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) from 3rd to 23rd and Erling Haaland (Man City) from 5th to 26th. Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan) moved from 7th to 20th, Florian Wirtz (in his final season at Leverkusen) fell from 12th to 29th and Phil Foden dropped off the shortlist.

Other active players who did not return to the 2025 list include Dani Olmo, Ademola Lookman, Martin Ødegaard, Federico Valverde, William Saliba, Antonio Rüdiger and Nico Williams. The reshuffle underlined how form, fitness and club trajectories altered perceptions between the 2024 and 2025 shortlists.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has made a clear call on the Ballon d’Or discussion, identifying Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha as his picks after a season in which PSG dominated.

Rodri’s view arrives amid a wider conversation about an open Ballon d’Or race, a contrast with years dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. His preference, though, is unambiguous.

“The Ballon d’Or is difficult,” Rodri acknowledged. “PSG has been the team of the season, and it would be hard not to give it to someone from that team. I’m happy for [the club’s manager] Luis Enrique.

“I’d like to see it go to Lamine or Pedri, but on sporting merit, it’s Dembélé or Vitinha.”

Dembélé emerges in Rodri’s assessment as the leading candidate after a dramatic year in attack. The France international is credited with 35 goals and 16 assists across all competitions, having shifted from a career on the wing into a central striker role as PSG sought to maximise his goalscoring output.

Vitinha’s case is less about headline numbers and more about control and influence. He played a deeper, more understated role for PSG, pulling the strings in midfield, and he also contributed to Portugal’s international success by helping to steer his country to Nations League glory with what has been described as a sensational eye for a pass.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal is likely to attract plenty of attention and votes after establishing himself as the club’s talisman at just 18 years old, but Rodri suggested the teenager may have to wait a little longer before claiming football’s top individual prize.

Rodri’s comments underline a season in which PSG’s collective achievements have bolstered the personal cases of their standout performers.