Bruno Fernandes addressed the controversies surrounding the upcoming Qatar World Cup in a remarkably candid post-match interview following Manchester United’s dramatic 2-1 win away at Fulham.
The midfielder, who will compete for Portugal in the tournament, acknowledged that there are parts of the World Cup that he does not like and talked about some of the negativity that has marred the lead-up to the event.
This is one of the first times a player getting ready to travel to Qatar has been so open about the circumstances surrounding the event.
“Of course, it’s strange [the World Cup starting next week]. It’s not exactly the time we want to be playing in the World Cup”, Fernandes told Sky Sports.
“I think for everyone, players and fans, it’s not the best time. Kids will be at school, people will be working and the timings will not be the best for people to watch the games.”
Fernandes continued by going into greater depth on the actual contentious aspects of the competition, adding: “We know the surroundings of the World Cup, what has been in the past few weeks, past few months, about the people that have died on the construction of the stadiums. We are not happy about that at all.”
“We want football to be for everyone, everyone has to be included and involved in a World Cup because a World Cup is the world. It’s for everyone, it doesn’t matter who.”
“A lot has been written, there’s a lot of focus on how it’s happened and why it’s in Qatar. I don’t agree with how it’s happened but we’re footballers and we play football. Change has to come from somewhere else,” he added.
Fernandes continued, saying that although a World Cup should be something that both players and fans can enjoy and anticipate, this competition should have been handled far better than it has.
“These kind of things I think should not happen at any time. But for a World Cup, it’s more than football, it’s a party for fans, players, something that’s a joy to watch, should be done in a better way.”
Fernandes made an intriguing point, choosing to focus on how at least some of the tournament participants feel about the host country’s organization of the event rather than simply avoiding the subject.
Portugal’s first match in Qatar is against Ghana on November 24 as they compete to win Group H, which also features Uruguay and South Korea, two countries with noteworthy Premier League quality.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes, a Portuguese professional football player for Manchester United of the Premier League and the Portugal national team, was born on September 8, 1994. He plays attacking midfield.
Fernandes is renowned for his ability to score goals, create plays, lead by example, take penalties, and work hard.
Originally from Maia, Porto, Fernandes began his professional career with Serie B club Novara before moving on to Serie A club Udinese in 2013 and then Sampdoria three years later.
He signed with Sporting CP in 2017 after spending five years in Italy, where he was made club captain.
Former Portugal youth international Fernandes competed for his nation at the under-19, under-20, under-21, and under-23 levels.
He participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics for Portugal. He played in Portugal’s squads for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, and the UEFA Euro 2020, winning the 2019 competition on home soil and earning a spot in the Team of the Tournament. He made his senior international debut in 2017.
2022 FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international men’s football championship played between the senior national teams of FIFA member countries, is set to take place for the 22nd time in November 2022.
Qatar will host it from November 20 through December 18, 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Diogo Dalot are the three Manchester United players who have been chosen for the final 26-man Portugal roster to go to Qatar.
Only a few days remain until the kick-off of the World Cup, and United will be well-represented by their three stars in Fernando Santos’ team.
Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to play in his final World Cup with Portugal, who are considered one of the favorites to win the sport’s most prized trophy.
Ronaldo will lead the team to Qatar as captain, and he surely wants to win the sport’s greatest honor to cap off an amazing and trophy-filled career.
