Bruno Fernandes is currently ranked as the top player of the World Cup so far as the Portugal star has returned to tip-top form when his country needs him most.
There is no doubt that Fernandes is one of the finest players in the world when he is in the mood. However, the Manchester United man has come under intense scrutiny leading up to the tournament in Qatar after a stuttering start to his 22/23 campaign.
A mixed bag of performances from United didn’t help the 28-year-old find his best form.
However, his form so far in the World Cup has made him one of the favourites to take home the Golden Ball award, an accolade that is given to the tournament’s best player.
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Fernandes currently has an average Sofascore rating of 8.60 after scoring 8.4, 8.8 and 8.1 in the three matches he has played in so far, in second place is Argentina superstar Lionel Messi with a rating of 7.95. Whilst Antoine Griezmann of France is third with a score of 7.93.
In addition to his match rating, Fernandes has 5 goal contributions to his name, only Kylian Mbappe(7) has more. The Portugal midfielder is currently joint top of the assists chart alongside England captain Harry Kane with three.
If we look at the big chances created, Fernandes is also up there with the best as he is ranked second, having created four big chances for his side. France's Griezmann is top with five.
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All the stats have shown that Fernandes has been doing his job perfectly well, even when his side aren’t putting the chances away, Fernandes is still there to make the right passes and runs to create opportunities.
The only time Fernandes didn’t play was in their final group stage match against South Korea, and they looked a completely different outfit as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat.
Fernandes will for sure play a big role in Portugal’s upcoming semi-final clash against Morocco.
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Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Bruno Fernandes, Portugal, Football World Cup, Football