Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been consistently brilliant for club and country in recent years but he suffered a night to forget against Hungary.
Earlier this week, Bruno Fernandes starred in a 5-0 Portugal win over Armenia and the Manchester United captain was easily one of the best players on the pitch.
Just a few days later, Bruno Fernandes lined up again for Portugal against Hungary – a day after celebrating his 31st birthday.
Portuguese media did not hold back on Fernandes after watching his poor display, but a 3-2 win does mean his nation sits at the top of their World Cup qualifying group.
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes sings his national anthem prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Hungary and Portugal at Puskas Arena in 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.
Photo by Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Bruno Fernandes endured nightmare display vs Hungary
Fernandes was pushed further forward into an advanced No.10 role for Portugal, playing just behind former United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Despite many believing that an advanced role is Fernandes’ strongest position, he failed to have a positive impact in the game.
As per Sofascore, Fernandes was given a 6.5 rating – the second-worst in the Portugal team, only ahead of goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Bruno Fernandes vs Portugal Statistics
Minutes played 66
Touches 58
Passes completed 88% (37/42)
Shots attempted 0
Duels won 0% (0/6)
Dribbles completed 0% (0/2)
Possession lost 15
Defensive actions 0
Bruno Fernandes stats for Portugal vs Hungary.
Fernandes failed to win a single duel, complete a single dribble or complete a defensive action during his time on the pitch.
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Eventually, he was taken off by Roberto Martinez just after the hour mark after what was an uncharacteristically poor performance from the playmaker.
Bruno Fernandes drops in form just before Manchester derby
After playing in both of Portugal’s World Cup qualifier matches, Fernandes will now return to Manchester ready for this weekend’s fiery derby.
Following the 3-2 win over Burnley before the break – where Fernandes scored a last-minute penalty to win the match – Ruben Amorim will be desperate to win back-to-back matches.
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There is no doubt that Fernandes will feature in the starting XI, likely in a deeper central midfield role.
But his performance against Hungary will hardly fill fans – or himself – with confidence. Away at the Etihad Stadium, Fernandes will need to step up and make an impact if United are going to claim all three points.