Bruno Fernandes is accepting the pressure of expectation that will be on the footballers of Portugal at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM.
Warming to his subject and speaking before Tuesday’s last-16 match against Switzerland. The quick-witted Manchester United midfielder refers to such pressure as “a privilege.”
His attitude toward Fernandes shows how much he is enjoying his newfound prominence in Fernando Santos’ glitzy Portugal squad. The 28-year-old played a minor role in the last two major competitions. After Portugal’s opening game in Russia in 2018, Santos dropped Fernandes from his starting lineup. And he did the same after Portugal’s first two games at the UEFA EURO the year before.
Now, the Portugal coach would not support the notion of playing a crucial game without Fernandes controlling the play. The midfielder’s two goals helped Portugal easily defeat Uruguay 2-0 and get out of the group stage as soon as possible. When Ghana was defeated 3-2 in the opening game, he assisted on two crucial late goals.
Fernandes credits his relatively late transition from the chorus line to the headline act. He rose to international prominence on the club scene after moving to Old Trafford in January 2020. To the unwavering resolve that led him to leave the comforts of home for an “all-or-nothing” move to Novara, Italy. When he was just 17 years old. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t had that experience, which was unusual for Portuguese players at the time, claims Fernandes.
Rewind to the present and the location where Fernandes is right now. To save his legs for the knockout rounds, the player with 51 caps was rested for Portugal’s match against the Korean Republic in the last group game. The World Cup is “the peak of any player’s career,” according to Fernandes.