Tuesday night, Bruno Fernandes finally announced himself on the world stage. Given the top form he had been operating in, a blank return—no goal, no assist—against DR Congo was a disappointment, despite him dropping a fine performance overall. Against Uzbekistan, though, the Premier League Player of the Year and the Premier League assists record holder, with twenty-one assists in a single season, was a man on a mission. If he was not going to score, he was determined to be on the other end of assists. As Portugal ran riot, hammering Uzbekistan 5-0, the United skipper made sure he left a mark on the game with an assist to his name. In fact, he could have had two assists in that game had a well-worked free-kick routine with Cristiano Ronaldo come off. Portugal have so many stars, make no mistake, but you would tune in to their games just to watch Fernandes drop a masterclass. Juan Mata completely blown away by Bruno Fernandes In a world boasting exciting talents like Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, even former United playmaker Juan Mata admits it is Fernandes whom he most enjoys watching right now, telling ITV Sport: “My favourite player to watch now is Bruno Fernandes.” @itvsportWho’s the player you enjoying watching most right now? 🤔 We hit Juan Mata with some quick fire questions 🗯️ #itvsporthighlights♬ original sound – ITV Sport Mata must have savoured that Uzbekistan performance. Fernandes rose to the occasion, creating chances for fun and controlling the entire game. Eyes on the assists record The record for most assists in a single FIFA World Cup stands at six, set by Brazil’s Pelé. Fernandes, with one, has five more to equal it. It looks like a tall order, but consider that Fernandes did not register his first assist last season until gameweek eight, yet still went on to break the Premier League record. With the United star firing on all cylinders, Pelé’s record is under serious threat. Up next for Portugal is a final Group K clash against Colombia on Sunday morning. Featured image Daniel Pockett via 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 Daniel Onguko Dan is a writer with The Peoples Person, an avid Manchester United fan whose passion for the Red Devils evolved into writing about them. He was introduced to United back in 2008, and his love for the club has continued to grow ever since. Like every other United fan, he believes the club will soon return to its rightful place and strives to reflect that belief in his writing. While he has also written about other Premier League sides, including Arsenal for Just Arsenal and The Arsenal Analysis Blogspot, Dan lives and breathes Manchester United.
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