Bruno Fernandes vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Shocking Stats After 300 Man Utd Appearances Revealed

Bruno Fernandes reached his 300th match for Manchester United during the weekend victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, following Cristiano Ronaldo's path to become only the second Portuguese footballer to accomplish this milestone.

It's quite possible that Ronaldo persuaded his fellow countryman Fernandes, who has been his international teammate since 2017, to stay at United this summer, despite persistent rumors linking him with a transfer to the Saudi Pro League—where Ronaldo currently plays for Al Nassr.

The pair also shared time in Manchester for a year and a half after Ronaldo made his remarkable comeback to the Red Devils in 2021, and although their playing partnership once sparked intense debate, these two contemporary Portuguese legends have maintained an excellent relationship off the field.

"I discussed the situation with Cristiano, about Saudi and everything," Fernandes recently revealed, when explaining how near he came to departing United. Ultimately, he decided to stay in northern England, making a 300th Red Devils appearance certain in 2025–26, and that landmark was achieved during Saturday's 4–2 triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Fernandes became the 52nd player in the club's history to reach 300 United matches, accomplishing this in exceptionally fast time due to his remarkable capacity to avoid injuries. He'll likely surpass Ronaldo's total of 346 United games at this pace, though focus has quickly shifted to comparing how the two performed at this stage of their respective Old Trafford careers.

300 Games for Man Utd—Fernandes vs. Ronaldo

Ronaldo reached his 300th Man Utd match 14 years after his 200th appearance. The Portuguese legend spent those years excelling in European football with Real Madrid and, to some degree, Juventus.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær was managing when he completed his return in 2021, and remained in charge when Ronaldo sealed United's recovery from 2–0 down against Atalanta in the 81st minute. That marked his 58th Champions League appearance for the Red Devils, having helped the club win Europe during his first Ballon d'Or-winning campaign (2008).

Fernandes hasn't come near to achieving such success, nor has United's current skipper been considered for football's most prestigious individual award, despite shouldering the club's burden for significant periods of his United tenure.

Basic Records After 300 Manchester United Games

Ronaldo was a three-time Premier League winner and claimed both domestic trophies during his initial Manchester stint. He also netted 124 times in his first 300 matches, with 50 coming as a substitute. Fernandes has scored 100 goals by comparison, but has provided 20 more assists (87 versus 67).

Simply being in similar statistical territory to Ronaldo demonstrates how excellent Fernandes has been in often significantly weaker United squads. He's averaged 255 minutes per goal against Ronaldo's 185.3 and has produced a goal contribution every 136.4 minutes compared to his countryman's 120.3.

And while 'CR7' secured the major trophies within 300 United matches, Fernandes has also guided the club to silverware during challenging periods. The Portuguese midfielder won both the EFL Cup and FA Cup under Erik ten Hag, with both victories coming after the Dutch manager had benched Ronaldo, who moved to Al Nassr at the close of 2022.

Detailed Records After 300 Manchester United Games