The Main Man
It took very little time for Manchester United to warm up to Bruno Fernandes… and even less time for him to make an impact. From the moment he fired a Harry Maguire forehead-seeking missile for an assist against Chelsea in 2020 to present, he’s been in the spotlight as one of the most adored players in red.
He’s also been one of the most prolific creators in Europe. This summer he takes his talents to North America with Portugal, where he and Cristiano Ronaldo will try and etch a new name into the famed golden trophy.
One of the Best
Fernandes has been producing assists at a ridiculous rate in the Premier League since landing in Manchester six years ago. He was the leading chance creator in the league in four of the last five seasons and is well on track to make it five in six. At the time of writing, his 19 assists is just one short of tying the all-time PL record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Fernandes isn’t too shabby as a box-crashing No. 10 either.
He has been a regular goalscorer from open play and the penalty spot, and became a Manchester United centurion, surpassing 100 goals for the Reds in 2025. With the Lusos, Fernandes typically plays in a midfield three, but more recently has featured in his preferred No. 10. This was seen against the USMNT in a 2-0 win last international break, during which he fed a back heel assist for Francisco Trincão.
Should he continue playing just behind the forward, expect plenty more box-crashing opportunities and chances to score as well as create for Fernandes.
Reputation on the International Stage
Fernandes made his debut at the 2018 World Cup, but played a starring role for Portugal in 2022. He scored twice and provided three assists in Qatar, fueling the team to a quarterfinal appearance. Both goals came in a 2-0 win over Uruguay to secure passage to the knockout stage. It was in 2022 that Fernandes began to shine as a leader in the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s age and hero ball tendencies were catching up with him, and the team arguably played its best football as a unit without the world’s greatest ever goalscorer on the pitch. That was in part down to the flourishing creativity with Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and a host of young wide players. Four years later, he is still a vital player for Portugal, having scored 28 goals in 87 appearances.
Portugal at the World Cup
Expect plenty of misplaced “The Last Dance” messaging from this World Cup with Portugal included. It’s certainly the last World Cup for Ronaldo (41), but it may also be the last big opportunity for the likes of Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo who are all 31-years-old. Like many bigger national teams there is a fairly constant rate of turnover for Portugal, but at present it feels like a real changing of the guard moment.
- Portugal vs DR Congo — June 17 — 1 p.m. ET from Houston (NRG Stadium)
- Portugal vs Uzbekistan — June 23 — 1 p.m. ET from Houston (NRG Stadium)
- Portugal vs Colombia — June 27 — 7:30 p.m. ET from Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)
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