Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has secured a lofty place in a ranking of the best players in Europe.
Record-breaking season
Fernandes was undoubtedly the best player in the Premier League in the just-concluded 2025/26 season, helping the club to a third-place finish and Champions League football.
He spent the first half of the campaign being played out of position in a deeper-lying midfield position under now-sacked head coach Ruben Amorim. Even then, Fernandes delivered for United as he continued to prove himself to be the heartbeat of the team.
But he really kicked up a level when Michael Carrick arrived as Amorim’s replacement. Carrick immediately restored Fernandes to his favoured playmaking role and it turbocharged United’s relentless march to glory.
Fernandes’ goal and assist in the final game of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion took his total goal contributions to 30.
The assist, his 21st, was especially a special one as it saw him surpass Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry to become the player with the most assists in a single Premier League campaign.
Fernandes won United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year. He also bagged the Premier League Player of the Season and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year prizes.
After the final whistle at the Amex, he was presented with the Coca-Cola Playmaker award. The Portugal international is considered the favourite to scoop up the PFA Player of the Year accolade ahead of the likes of Declan Rice, Gabriel, William Saliba and Erling Haaland.
GOAL did a ranking of the best and most outstanding players in Europe in 2025/26 and named Fernandes in ninth place.
Elite company
Fernandes’ ninth position puts him above the likes of Vitinha (10th), Haaland (11th), Pedri (15th) and Raphinha (19th).
Only Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (8th), Luis Diaz (7th), Ousmane Dembele (6th), Rice (5th), Kylian Mbappe (4th), Lamine Yamal (3rd), Michael Olise (2nd) and Harry Kane (1st), are ranked higher than the United skipper.
| Rank | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich |
| 2nd | Michael Olise | Bayern Munich |
| 3rd | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona |
| 4th | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid |
| 5th | Declan Rice | Arsenal |
| 6th | Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 7th | Luis Díaz | Liverpool |
| 8th | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 9th | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United |
| 10th | Vitinha | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 11th | Erling Haaland | Manchester City |
| 15th | Pedri | Barcelona |
| 19th | Raphinha | Barcelona |
On Fernandes’ selection, GOAL write, “If you’re not already convinced of Fernandes’ dominance this season, then this statistic should win you over: Fernandes created 136 chances over the course of the English top-flight campaign; Dominik Szoboszlai ranked second on the list with just 78.”
“Opposition defences could not keep Fernandes out of the game, and more often than not he made them pay.”
It’s another recognition for Fernandes, whose contributions in 2025/26 will certainly live long in the memory.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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