Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes finds himself up against Declan Rice as his main competitor for Premier League Player of the Season.
During the 3-1 win over Aston Villa on the weekend, Bruno Fernandes registered two assists at Old Trafford meaning he overtook David Beckham’s record for most assists in a single season as a Manchester United player.
Fernandes can now set his sights on the overall Premier League assist record in one season, currently held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne who both managed 20.
United’s Portuguese captain is leading the charge towards Champions League qualification and he is rightfully in the conversation as a Player of the Year contender, where Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Gabriel are currently his biggest competition.
Bruno Fernandes in action during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James’ Park in 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images
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Bruno Fernandes is as productive as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
United fans have been raving about Fernandes for years now, but his excellence on a football pitch has still gone under the radar.
Fernandes has dominated chance creation statistics in European football for years, and this season in particular, no one even comes close.
Incredibly, Fernandes took just 318 appearances to reach 100 goals and 100 assists for United.
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely known as two of the best footballers to ever grace the sport, yet even they cannot match Fernandes.
At Barcelona, Messi took 319 games to reach 100 goals and 100 assists, while at Real Madrid, Ronaldo needed 325 matches.
These are two of the greatest footballers in their prime, and Fernandes is not only on par – he achieved it at a quicker rate.
What does Bruno Fernandes have to do in 2026 to challenge for the Ballon d’Or?
Win the World Cup? Win the Premier League POTY? Break the assist record?
Bruno Fernandes Ballon d'Or Talking points graphic.
Credit: Getty Images.
Bruno Fernandes should be in Ballon d’Or conversation
Not only should Fernandes be the favourite for the Premier League Player of the Season award, but his performances this season are among the best in the world.
The Ballon d’Or is typically reliant on trophies won throughout the year, which will inevitably go against Fernandes given that United crashed out of cup competitions early and are not in Europe.
READ MORE: How Man United’s tactical reset has put Bruno Fernandes on course for 2026 Ballon d’Or challenge
But strictly in terms of individual performances, it’s hard to name many players who have been better than the 31-year-old.
Fernandes is targeting World Cup glory with Portugal in the summer, and if he goes on to lift it, the idea of him lifting a Ballon d’Or will go from ambitious to realistic very quickly.
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