Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes produced a sensational performance to help Portugal to their first victory in the 2026 World Cup, a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan.
Portugal announce themselves
Smarting from their below-par opener against DR Congo, Fernandes and his teammates entered their clash with Uzbekistan determined to make a statement.
They enjoyed a dream start as United legend Cristiano Ronaldo broke the deadlock inside six minutes with a sublime finish.
Mendes made it 2-0 soon after, curling a stunning free-kick into the bottom corner that left Abduhovid Nematov with no chance. Ronaldo completed his break shortly before the break, finishing off a rapid counter-attacking move that was assisted by Fernandes.
A Nematov own goal at the hour mark all but sealed Uzbekistan’s fate. With three minutes of regular time remaining, substitute Rafael Leão fired into the top corner to ensure Portugal well and truly made their mark.
After a quiet outing against DR Congo, Fernandes was back to his sparkling best against Uzbekistan, pulling the strings as Portugal’s creative heartbeat.
His biggest contribution may have been the assist for Ronaldo’s second goal but he brought a lot more than that to the table.
Fernandes’ performance
Fernandes completed 100% of the take-ons he attempted, while also winning every aerial duel he contested, a superb blend of attacking threat and defensive resilience.
He touched the ball 94 times and managed an individual pass accuracy of 85%. Nine of his passes were delivered into the final third.
Fernandes also put in six crosses as he looked to make things happen for the Selecao in front of goal. He created two big chances, including the assist for Ronaldo.
To round out his performance, the United player recorded three defensive contributions and one progressive carry, underlining his two-way effectiveness.
A breathtaking sweeping move almost produced an early opener, but he couldn’t quite direct his finish on target.
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