Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is coming to terms with Portugal’s World Cup exit.
Portugal’s World Cup campaign came to an end with a 1-0 defeat to Iberian rivals Spain in the Last 16.
For those used to watching Portugal at major tournaments, this was more of the usual. Despite the talent in the line-up, they played slow, uninspiring football, with the exception of one game against Uzbekistan.
Cristiano Ronaldo has taken the brunt of the criticism for holding the team back as a regular starter at 41.
Fernandes and co. are not blameless either, more was expected from a cohort of players who are individually among Europe’s best.
United star Fernandes has now broken his silence on social media, and he is not pulling any punches.
CAPTION THIS… Picture from when Andrey Santos came up against Aurelien Tchouameni on international duty
An old school Caption Competition 🏆
Bruno Fernandes’ comments
Fernandes posted to Instagram to convey his feelings about Portugal’s World Cup failure.
He wrote: “Sad, frustrated, and disappointed. This group of players raised my expectations, not only because of their quality but also because of the incredible team we’ve built over these years.
“Thank you to all the players, coaching staff, and all the staff who accompanied and helped us every day during the World Cup.
“To all the Portuguese people, a huge thank you for your support and belief.”
Fernandes had stated before the tournament that he believed Portugal could win the World Cup. But they rarely looked close.
Come on Paul give him a chance…. Scholes has written Andrey Santos off already – What do you think of these comments?
Scholes was wrong about Senne Lammens last season…
Fernandes needs a break
Manchester United’s squad have returned for pre-season, but Bruno Fernandes will not join up until the end of the month.
FIFA rules mandate that players performing at the World Cup must have around three weeks break before returning to their club.
Fernandes played fewer club games than usual last season due to a lack of cup competitions, but the reason for a break is not always physical, it is mental too.
It is clear from his message that Fernandes is still processing the end of a dream, a dream that will not come around again until 2030 – by which time he will be 35.
Fernandes came into World Cup 2026 in the best form of his life, setting an all-time Premier League assist record, with 21 in a season.
It all seemed to be set up perfectly to take the World Cup by storm, supported by Joao Neves and Vitinha in midfield.
For whatever reason, it just did not click into gear at the World Cup. Blame Roberto Martinez, blame Cristiano Ronaldo, blame Fernandes himself, it just didn’t work.
Fernandes now has to come to terms with that, and he deserves to be able to switch off for a couple of weeks.
A huge challenge will lie ahead for Manchester United next season, and we want Fernandes to be fresh and recharged by time he returns.
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