Bruno Fernandes makes history for the National Team: equals Nuno Gomes’ record and closes in on Figo
Bruno Fernandes continues to establish himself as a true goal-scoring machine for Portugal. In the friendly match against Chile this Saturday at the National Stadium, the Manchester United midfielder scored his 29th goal for the National Team, equaling the legendary Nuno Gomes in fifth place among Portugal’s all-time top scorers. This achievement confirms the player’s growing importance in the national team and places him just three goals shy of Luís Figo, who ranks fourth.
The decisive moment occurred in the 75th minute when Bruno Fernandes, with the team already leading 1-0 thanks to a goal from Gonçalo Guedes in the 58th minute, unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box that left the Chilean goalkeeper with no chance. This goal not only increased Portugal’s lead but also solidified the midfielder’s position as one of the greatest scorers in the history of the national team.
With this appearance, Bruno Fernandes completed his 88th international cap for the Portugal senior team, having made his debut by scoring in June 2018 against Algeria, in his sixth match for the national side. Interestingly, only two of his goals were scored while he was a player for Sporting, with the remaining 26 coming during his time at the Manchester United, a club he has represented since the second half of the 2019/20 season.
Record that the Portuguese midfielder scored his last goal in November 2025, during the memorable hat-trick that helped Portugal thrash Armenia 9-1 at the Estádio do Dragão, in a decisive match for the qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Another highlight of the game was Gonçalo Guedes, who scored again and now has eight goals in 34 matches for the national team. The forward, currently at Real Sociedad, had not celebrated a goal for Portugal since June 2022, in a 2-0 victory against the Czech Republic in the Nations League. Guedes, who made his debut for the national team in 2015 while playing for Benfica, matched the historic names of Vítor Silva, Coluna, Carlos Manuel, Oceano, Fernando Couto, and Pepe, all with eight goals in their international careers.
Despite the victory, Portugal conceded a late goal in the 90+2 minute, scored by Lucas Cepeda from Chile. It was the first goal conceded by Rui Silva, who came on at halftime to defend the Portuguese goal in his third international appearance.
With this brilliant performance, Bruno Fernandes continues to leave his mark on the history of Portuguese football, getting closer to surpassing Luís Figo and solidifying his place among the greatest idols of the national team. The battle for the top spots on the list of leading scorers is more exciting than ever, and Bruno Fernandes promises to keep surprising.
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