5/11 long balls, 0 dribbles: United star produces subdued showing as his nation is held to frustrating World Cup result

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes produced a subdued outing by his standards as Portugal played out a draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener. Contained Portugal are widely considered one of the favourites to go all the way at the World Cup, so there was plenty of optimism within the ranks heading into their meeting with DR Congo in Houston. The Selecao got off to a dream start as Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves broke the deadlock with a headed finish inside five minutes. But Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa drew his nation level with an equally brilliant header of his own on the stroke of half-time. Despite second-half chances falling to both sides, the game ended with the points shared, as neither could produce the decisive moment. Fernandes, fresh off a record-breaking season with United, started in midfield alongside Neves and his PSG compatriot Vitinha. It was a relatively muted display from Fernandes, who struggled to influence the match as he so often does for his club. His best moment came in the closing stages of the game when he fired a shot at goal, which narrowly drifted wide of the goal. To highlight Fernandes’ subdued game, the playmaker did not create a chance for 90 minutes. His first chance came in the 92nd minute of action. For 90 minutes Bruno Fernandes didn’t create a single chance. His first chance created came in the 92nd minute 😮 pic.twitter.com/1d2DRPBYmD — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 17, 2026 Fernandes’ performance Fernandes managed two shots during the time he was on the pitch. He managed to find his teammates with 67 of the 77 passes he attempted (87% individual pass accuracy). Just one of his passes was a key pass. The 31-year-old connected successfully with five of the 11 long balls he pinged. He touched the ball 96 times and drew two fouls. Fernandes was solid defensively, winning five of the eight ground duels he delved into and both aerial contests he vied for. He also came away with the ball in two of his three tackles. Portugal are next in action on Tuesday when they face Uzbekistan. CategoryStat Defensive Contributions3 Tackles (won)3 (2) Ground duels (won)8 (5) Aerial duels (won)2 (2) Possession Touches96 Unsuccessful touches1 Dribbles (successful)0 (0) Was fouled2 Passing Expected assists (xA)0.55 Key passes1 Crosses (accurate)6 (2) Accurate passes67/77 (87%) Passes in opposition half (acc.)45/54 (83%) Passes in own half (acc.)22/23 (96%) Long balls (accurate)5/11 (45%) Shooting Total shots2 Shots on target0 Shots blocked1 (Stats obtained from Sofascore) Portugal vs. Uzbekistan kicks off at 9 pm. Featured image by Molly Darlington/Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Latest Top Stories… Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!