12th January 2026
January 12 – Manchester United spent Sunday afternoon licking their wounds after another early FA Cup exit. By the evening, matters had taken a stranger turn.
Bruno Fernandes’ X account was hacked late on Sunday night, with a series of erratic posts appearing on the United captain’s page in the hours after the 2–1 defeat to Brighton.
The Portugal international, who has more than 4.5 million followers on the platform, had played the full 90 minutes earlier in the day.
The first message to raise eyebrows was a brief announcement declaring: ‘Join Macclesfield FC. Excited for the future’. Sixth-tier Macclesfield Town had knocked out holders Crystal Palace the previous day.
What followed was a scattergun mix of posts and replies that obviously bore little resemblance to Fernandes’ usual account.
One message read: ‘At the end of the day I will always be a winner. No matter what’, accompanied by a money bag emoji. Several X-rated comments were then posted, including frankly inappropriate remarks aimed at Aston Villa and Switzerland forward Alisha Lehmann and online personality KSI.
The most widely shared post, however, cut closer to home. ‘Let’s get rid of INEOS’, it read – a reference to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s company, now effectively in control of football operations at Old Trafford.
Supporters quickly flagged the activity in the replies and it was not long before Manchester United intervened, posting: ‘Bruno Fernandes’s X account has been hacked. Supporters should not engage with any of the posts or direct messages’. That message was promptly shared by the compromised account, followed by: ‘Make sure you guys stay alert for any hacks’.
The feed continued to veer between the bizarre and the inflammatory. There were invitations to play FIFA, hot takes on boxing, a cryptic ‘are you not entertained’, and – four minutes later – an image of the Anfield scoreboard from Liverpool’s 7–0 win over United in March 2023.
One reply in particular drew attention. After 18-year-old Shea Lacey apologised publicly for his red card against Brighton, the hacked Fernandes account responded: ‘just don’t do it again g’.
By the time midnight passed, the posts were still coming as club officials worked to regain control. Fernandes’ account, active since 2019 and previously used sparingly, had been largely dormant since October, when he marked his 300th appearance for United. For one evening at least, it became another unwanted distraction in a season already crowded with them.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [moc.l1768224953labto1768224953ofdlr1768224953owedi1768224953sni@g1768224953niwe.1768224953yrrah1768224953](javascript:;)