Manchester United star shares bold World Cup hot take about teammate Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte has boldly predicted that teammate Bruno Fernandes will fail to find the back of the net at the 2026 World Cup.

With the tournament on the horizon, countless predictions and hot takes have been doing the rounds. While many of those calls are rather tame and straightforward, a few United stars have shared their rogue shouts ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

In a video posted to social media, United quizzed first-team players on their World Cup predictions, with each player unsurprisingly backing their respective nations to go and win the tournament.

They were then asked to name their underdogs for the tournament, with Joshua Zirkzee predicting Morocco to have a good tournament, while Diogo Dalot named the Netherlands. Senne Lammens named his Belgian side as potential underdogs, Fernandes backed Scotland and fellow midfielder Ugarte named Ecuador as the team to watch this summer.

Then came the fun part, rogue predictions for the tournament. Zirkzee went first again when he stated that Curacao will win a game. They have been drawn in Group E alongside Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast. Dalot predicted that Colombia would reach the quarter-finals, while veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton predicted that close friend Scott McTominay would get sent off for Scotland this summer.

Ugarte didn't hold back either. Asked for his rogue prediction, he stated that 'Bruno won't score' during the tournament, before he smirked towards the camera.

Fernandes will hope to silence his United teammate and continue his remarkable club form on the international stage. The Portugal international scored nine goals and registered 22 assists as he broke the Premier League assist record during an incredible individual season.

The United captain was named the Premier League Player of the Season, while he also picked up the FWA Footballer of the Year and the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards.

He will fancy his chances of finding the back of the net when Portugal begin their World Cup campaign against DR Congo next Wednesday. They also face Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K and are considered one of the leading nations capable of winning the World Cup this summer.

Fernandes has 29 goals and 26 assists in 88 appearances for the Portuguese national side, including two goals and three assists in his six previous World Cup appearances. Ironically, his two previous goals at the tournament came when Portugal defeated Uruguay 2-0 at the 2022 World Cup, a match in which Ugarte was an unused substitute.