Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has released a statement days after he and his Portugal teammates were painfully eliminated from the World Cup.
Exit
Heading into the tournament in North America, Portugal were seen as one of the favourites to go all the way and mount a real challenge for football’s most prestigious prize.
Their reality check came in the form of a 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opener, but they quickly bounced back with a resounding 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan.
They then ground out an uneventful 0-0 draw with Colombia, before sealing their last-16 spot in a thrilling encounter with Luka Modrić’s Croatia. This set up a tasty encounter with Spain, but the Selecao did not survive on this occasion.
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino scored a stoppage-time winner to send Spain through to the quarter-final and dump Portugal out.
Speaking after the game, a gutted Fernandes seemed to blame Roberto Martinez’s tactics for how things panned out. The 52-year-old has since quit his job. He also stressed that he was confident that Portugal would go far, although it didn’t materialise.
The playmaker has now released a statement on social media.
Fernandes’ statement
He wrote on X, “Sad, frustrated, and disillusioned.”
“This group of players made my expectations high, not only for the quality, but also for the fact of the incredible group that we built over these years.”
“Thank you to all the players, technical team, and all the staff who accompanied and helped us every day during the World Cup.”
“To all the Portuguese, a huge thank you for your support and belief.”
Triste, frustrado e desiludido.
Este grupo de jogadores fez com que as minhas expectativas fossem altas, nĂŁo sĂł pela qualidade, mas tambĂ©m pelo facto do incrĂvel grupo que criámos ao longo destes anos.
Obrigado a todos os jogadores, equipa técnica e a todo o staff que nos… pic.twitter.com/B2CrindH1q
— Bruno Fernandes (@B_Fernandes8) July 9, 2026
Fernandes is expected to have a three-week break before he returns to United for pre-season.
Featured image by Molly Darlington/Getty
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