Bruno Fernandes was unhappy with Portugal’s tactical setup as they crashed out of the World Cup to Spain.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and his Portugal teammate Diogo Dalot will return to Carrington sooner than expected after being knocked out of the 2026 World Cup.
Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain, meaning they were eliminated in the Round of 16.
Fernandes was dreaming of winning the World Cup with Portugal, but it ended up being a very underwhelming tournament for the Portuguese playmaker.
Bruno Fernandes believes Portugal can win the World Cup – Do you agree?
Bruno Fernandes lashed out at Portugal’s tactics
Just weeks after Fernandes broke the assist record in the Premier League, he ended the World Cup with no goals and just one assist in his five appearances.
Following Portugal’s defeat and elimination, Fernandes questioned the tactical approach set out by manager Roberto Martinez.
“In the first half, we were superior, but in the second half, we made the mistake again of dropping too deep and giving the ball to the opponent. When that happens, we end up suffering,” Fernandes said.
“Spain deserves credit, but I believe that if we had continued doing what we were doing in the first half, we would have left here with a different result.
“I know we’ve never won a World Cup and we always set the bar very high, but, with some certainty, this group had the quality to win the World Cup.
“There’s no need to lose faith. We lost against one of the favourites and we have to look ahead differently. We have to be more true to ourselves, play our way, and find ways to make teams respect us more.”
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Michael Carrick can learn from Bruno Fernandes comments
It is the last line of Fernandes’ comments that are the most interesting: “We have to be more true to ourselves, play our way”.
The 31-year-old is, of course, speaking about the Portugal national team, but those comments also apply to United.
Michael Carrick’s appointment as head coach was made permanent because he restored the ‘United way’ at Old Trafford.
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Fernandes doesn’t want to play in a side that sits deep. He wants to dominate matches and “make teams respect us”.
Ironically, that is also the challenge facing United and Carrick in 2026/27. There is a time and place for sitting in a low block and counter-attacking, but Carrick must find a way to make United a sustainable and consistent attacking unit.
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