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.
300 Games for Man Utd—Fernandes vs. Ronaldo
Ronaldo recorded his 300th Man Utd appearance 14 years after he played for the 200th time. The Portuguese all-time great spent the intervening years dominating European football with Real Madrid and, to a lesser extent, Juventus.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was in charge when he completed his reunion in 2021, and he was still at the helm when Ronaldo completed United’s comeback from 2–0 down against Atalanta in the 81st minute. That was his 58th appearance in the Champions League for the Red Devils, having helped the club conquer Europe during his first Ballon d’Or-winning year (2008).
Fernandes hasn‘t come close to inspiring such a conquest, nor has United’s current captain been in consideration for the most esteemed individual prize in the sport, despite carrying the club on his back for large portions of his United career.
Basic Records After 300 Manchester United Games
Ronaldo was a three-time Premier League champion and a winner of both domestic cups during his first spell in Manchester. He also scored 124 times during his first 300 appearances, 50 of which came off the bench. Fernandes has struck 100 times in comparison, but he has recorded 20 more assists (87 to 67).
Merely being in the same statistical stratosphere to Ronaldo pays testament to how good Fernandes has been in often distinctly poorer United teams. He’s averaged 255 minutes per goal compared to Ronaldo’s 185.3 and has recorded a goal contribution every 136.4 minutes compared to his compatriot‘s 120.3.
And while ’CR7’ claimed the biggest prizes within 300 United appearances, Fernandes has also helped the club to silverware during times of strife. The Portuguese playmaker lifted both the EFL Cup and FA Cup under Erik ten Hag, with both triumphs arriving after the Dutch coach had sidelined Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr at the end of 2022.
Detailed Records After 300 Manchester United Games
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Bruno Fernandes Compares to Cristiano Ronaldo After 300 Games for Man Utd.