Bruno Fernandes was made into a scapegoat for Portugal’s disastrous World Cup campaign under Roberto Martinez.
Heading into the summer tournament, Bruno Fernandes was dreaming of winning the World Cup with Portugal, and they were among the favourites.
A midfield of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fernandes was widely considered the best in the tournament, but Fernandes was misused by manager Roberto Martinez.
Portugal crashed out of the World Cup at the Round of 16 to Spain, and Fernandes lashed out at Martinez for his negative game plan.
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Bruno Fernandes will be excited by Jorge Jesus appointment
According to Fabrizio Romano, Jorge Jesus is set to become the next manager of Portugal after Martinez left his role.
Jesus was previously in charge of Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, where he won the title with Cristiano Ronaldo this season.
At first glance, it feels as though Jesus would build the team around Ronaldo, but actually, he shares a very strong relationship with Fernandes.
Jesus previously managed Fernandes at Sporting Lisbon, and the United captain’s record under him was mightily impressive with 34 goal contributions (16 goals, 18 assists) in 56 appearances.
Jesus knows how to get the best out of Fernandes, and that is excellent news for the playmaker and his international career moving forward.
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Jorge Jesus tried to sign Bruno Fernandes from Man United
When Fernandes rejected a £100m Saudi move, the United captain was actually turning down Jesus.
“I wanted to sign him, but Bruno is determined to stay,” Jesus said in 2025, as quoted by GOAL. “We already talked last year.
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“This year I knew he had made the decision to continue with Amorim. He’s in a league that they say is the best in the world, but I don’t agree. For me, it’s the Spanish league.”
Fernandes stayed loyal to United, but clearly he was a player that Jesus wanted to work with again. Now he will, on the international stage.
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