Bruno Fernandes brought up his 300th appearance for Manchester United in the weekend win over Brighton & Hove Albion, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo to become just the second Portuguese player to achieve the feat.
It may well have been Ronaldo who convinced compatriot Fernandes, an international teammate of his since 2017, to remain at United this summer, amid relentless speculation that a move to the Saudi Pro League—where Ronaldo resides at Al Nassr—was on the cards.
The two also crossed paths in Manchester for 18 months after Ronaldo completed a stunning return to the Red Devils in 2021, and while their on-pitch dynamic was once a source of heated discussion, the two modern Portuguese greats have maintained a stellar relationship away from the grass.
"I spoke with Cristiano about the situation, Saudi and everything," Fernandes recently admitted, when disclosing how close he came to leaving United. Ultimate, he chose to remain in the north of England, rendering a 300th Red Devils appearance an inevitability in 2025–26, and that milestone was reached during Saturday’s 4–2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Fernandes became the 52nd player in club history to tally 300 United games, doing so in remarkably quick time thanks to his impressive ability to stay injury-free. He’ll soon top Ronaldo’s haul of 346 United games at this rate, though attention has swiftly turned to how the two compare at this point of their respective Old Trafford journeys.
