Bruno Fernandes just played 63 minutes of World Cup soccer and somehow managed to be the most forgettable guy on the field. That’s not what you want from your national team’s creative engine, especially one coming off a record-setting Premier League season.
Portugal survived Croatia 2-1 on Wednesday night to punch their ticket to the round of 16. But they did it largely without Fernandes, who was pulled early in the second half with his team trailing. A penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo and a 94th-minute winner from Goncalo Ramos bailed Portugal out. Fernandes wasn’t around to see either goal.
The numbers tell the story here. Zero key passes. Zero successful crosses out of three attempts. He won just half of his duels. The man who racked up 21 assists for Manchester United this season has managed one assist all tournament — in a 5-0 blowout of Uzbekistan where anyone could have made that pass.
One good season doesn’t fix an old problem
Look, Fernandes had a fantastic year at Old Trafford. The assists record is real. But this isn’t a one-game blip. It’s a trend that’s followed him through multiple international tournaments. He disappears in big moments for Portugal. He slows the ball down. He tries Hollywood passes that don’t connect. And against Croatia, he was invisible until Roberto Martínez hooked him in the 63rd minute.
He did keep possession well — 90% pass completion is solid. He took two shots, one on target. He even won a tackle. But that’s a defensive midfielder’s stat line, not a No. 10’s. For a player who’s supposed to unlock defenses, Fernandes looked like he was playing in quicksand.
Ramos came on and changed the game inside three minutes. Ronaldo stepped up under pressure. The guys who replaced Fernandes actually created something.
Spain looms and Fernandes needs to find himself fast
Portugal’s reward for scraping past Croatia? A date with Spain on Monday. The European champions, the team that bullied everyone at Euro 2024, the squad that doesn’t give you 63 minutes to wake up. If Fernandes drifts through that game the way he did against Croatia, Portugal’s World Cup is over.
Diogo Dalot didn’t play a single minute against Croatia. He watched from the bench as his United teammate struggled through another frustrating night. At this rate, there’s going to be conversation about whether Fernandes should even start against Spain. That sounds extreme. But the tape doesn’t lie.
He’s 31. He’s the Manchester United captain. He just posted the best creative season of his career. And right now, he looks like a passenger on the biggest stage. Something has to change before Monday.
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