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Bruno Fernandes earned a spot in Sofascore’s Team of the Round selections after a dominant opening to the 2026 tournament with Portugal.
The selection caps a stellar stretch for the 31-year-old, who was already named Sofascore’s Premier League Player of the Season on May 26, 2026, with a 7.61 rating. His World Cup numbers have been even better.
The numbers behind the selection
Sofascore awarded Fernandes an 8.7 rating for Portugal’s 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan on June 24, 2026, in Houston. Across his first two matches in the tournament, Fernandes played a full 180 minutes and averaged an 8.25 rating. He registered an assist, completed three key passes, and maintained an 86.67% passing accuracy.
The Uzbekistan match was the highlight. Portugal’s five-goal rout was a statement result in Group K, part of the expanded 2026 World Cup format that features 12 groups of four teams.
A pattern of peak performance
Sofascore named Fernandes Premier League Player of the Season on May 26, 2026, an award based purely on performance data. His 7.61 season-long rating put him above every other player in the league across the full campaign.
Sofascore’s rating system uses a proprietary algorithm that weighs a wide range of in-match actions: passes completed, chances created, tackles, interceptions, duels won, and more.
What this means for the knockout rounds
Portugal’s group stage form, anchored by performances like the Uzbekistan rout, positions them as genuine contenders as the tournament moves into its elimination phase. The expanded 48-team format of the 2026 World Cup means more matches across a potential full tournament run. For Fernandes, who played every minute of Portugal’s first two group matches, workload management becomes a genuine consideration for a 31-year-old midfielder.
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