Juan Mata Picks a Manchester United Star as His Favorite Player in World Football Right Now

Juan Mata has watched a lot of football. He played at the highest level for clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United, and he shared a pitch with some of the greatest talents of his generation. So when he says there’s one player he enjoys watching more than anyone else these days, it carries some weight.

That player is Bruno Fernandes. Mata told ITV Sport in a quick-fire interview that the Manchester United captain is currently his favorite player to watch in world football. No hesitation.

It’s not a shocking pick if you’ve been paying attention. Fernandes just finished a Premier League season where he broke the single-season assists record with 21, and he was named the league’s Player of the Year. But there are a lot of flashy names out there right now. Lamine Yamal is doing things at 17 that shouldn’t be legal. Kylian Mbappé keeps doing Kylian Mbappé things. Yet Mata, a former United teammate of Fernandes, went with the guy wearing the armband at Old Trafford.

The World Cup performance that made the case

If you needed a recent example of why Fernandes is appointment viewing, Tuesday night against Uzbekistan was it. Portugal won 5-0 and Fernandes was right in the middle of everything. He didn’t score, but he picked up an assist and spent the whole match creating chances like he was working on a to-do list. There was one free-kick routine with Cristiano Ronaldo that almost came off for a second assist. Almost.

The performance was vintage Fernandes. Controlling the tempo. Firing passes into tight spaces. Making the people around him better. It’s the kind of game that reminds you why he’s so valuable, even when the goals aren’t coming.

Pelé’s record might actually be in play

Fernandes has one assist at this World Cup so far. The all-time record for most assists in a single tournament is six, set by Pelé. That sounds like a long shot, but consider this: Fernandes didn’t get his first Premier League assist last season until week eight. He still finished with 21. He’s not a slow starter, he’s a guy who builds momentum and then doesn’t stop.

Portugal still has at least one more group stage game coming up, a matchup with Colombia on Sunday. If Fernandes keeps playing like he did against Uzbekistan, that record might start looking less like a museum piece and more like a target.

Either way, Mata knows what he’s talking about. And for a guy who played with some of the best, picking Bruno Fernandes as his favorite to watch says something.