The record that went down in history

Yesterday, in Manchester United’s final match of the 2025–26 Premier League season against Brighton, Bruno Fernandes broke the league record for assists in a single season. With his corner deflected into the net by Patrick Dorgu, the Portuguese player – a nominee for the 2021 Ballon d’Or – officially reached 21 assists, surpassing the previous record of 20, shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Later, Dorgu returned the favour and found Fernandes for the final goal in the 3-0 victory over Brighton. It was the captain’s ninth goal of the season.

Since joining United from Sporting CP in 2020, Fernandes has become one of the fans’ biggest idols. His exceptional season also earned him the Premier League Player of the Season award, beating other Ballon d’Or nominees such as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Arsenal’s Declan Rice.

The leader of a new era at United

At 31, the midfielder has established himself as the team’s main on-field leader. Appointed captain in 2023, he has become a key figure thanks to his creativity, versatility and influence on the pitch, particularly during a period marked by instability, inconsistent results and several managerial changes.

This season, however, the Red Devils have found greater balance under the guidance of Michael Carrick, the club’s former midfielder, who was full of praise for the Portuguese: “He has a huge influence on us and has been our captain, leading by example in many ways.” (GOAL)

“What I love about Bruno is that he’s always playing forward.” – Casemiro

Another name who has highlighted Fernandes’ importance is Wayne Rooney, United’s all-time leading goalscorer, who described the Portuguese as “the heart of this team.” (BBC Sport)

Casemiro, a nominee for the 2022 Ballon d’Or who is leaving the club after also enjoying a great season, recently summed up one of the qualities he most admires in his teammate: “What I love about Bruno is that he’s always playing forward.” (Rio Ferdinand Presents)

The numbers behind the season

The statistics help to explain the Portuguese player’s impact. Throughout the 2025–26 campaign, Fernandes created 136 chances, well ahead of the runner-up, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, who recorded 78.

This performance was decisive in taking United to third place in the Premier League and securing a return to the Champions League.

In seven seasons and 327 appearances for the club, Fernandes has scored 107 goals and provided 108 assists. During this period, he helped United win the 2023 EFL Cup and the 2024 FA Cup. He also played a central role in the 2020-21 and 2024-25 Europa League campaigns, reaching the final and finishing as the competition’s top scorer in both editions, although without lifting the trophy.

All of this helps define the kind of player Fernandes is: someone who seeks to create, speed up the game and turn matches around when they seem to be losing momentum.

"My goal is for us to achieve many things together and continue to be the best team we can be." - Bruno Fernandes

Recognition on and off the pitch

In addition to the Premier League Player of the Season award, the Portuguese player was also voted by his own teammates as the best player in the squad for the second year running. Among the fans, recognition came with yet another Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award – the fifth of his career, a club record. With this, Fernandes has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo, winner of five Ballon d’Or awards, who received the honour four times.

Despite setting the record for assists in a single Premier League season, Fernandes is still some way off United’s all-time leader in that category. Over 24 seasons and 632 appearances, Ryan Giggs racked up 162 assists for the club.

The goal remains the same

Even surrounded by individual awards and records, Fernandes keeps his focus on the team. Upon receiving the league’s Player of the Season award, he made a point of sharing the credit with his teammates: “This is an individual award, but it only came about because we had a very good season together. Without your help, this obviously wouldn’t have been possible. You can imagine how proud and happy I am to receive this award. But my goal is for us to achieve many things together and continue to be the best team we can be. As I’ve said before, and you know this, if you hadn’t scored so many goals, I wouldn’t be holding this trophy now. So, much of the credit goes to you. We had a very good end to the season; it was brilliant for all of us. We got where we wanted to be. Next season will be an even bigger challenge, and I’m very happy to be part of it alongside you.” (YouTube - Manchester United)

On the future, Fernandes also makes it clear that his ambition goes beyond personal records. His goal remains the same: to restore United to their place among European football’s greatest winners: “This club was built to win titles. I’ve never forgotten that. I’ve always made it clear to everyone that I want to win the Premier League and the Champions League. I’ve never said I wanted to be the best player in the Premier League. No one has ever heard me say I wanted to break records for assists or goals, win the Player of the Season award, or be better than anyone else. No. Bruno wants to see the club succeed and win titles. That’s what Bruno wants.” (Diary of a CEO)

The next chapter

United’s last Premier League title came in 2013, during Sir Alex Ferguson’s farewell season. Their most recent Champions League triumph, meanwhile, was in 2008, when Cristiano Ronaldo was still in his first spell at the club.

Even so, Fernandes remains confident. For him, individual achievements reflect the team’s collective progress and may be a sign that the club is once again approaching the major stages that have marked its history.

Furthermore, the midfielder will aim to bring that same level of performance to Portugal at the upcoming World Cup, forming an impressive midfield alongside other Ballon d’Or nominees such as Vitinha, João Neves and Bernardo Silva.

Bruno Fernandes for Manchester United