Bruno Fernandes makes captain debut for Portugal vs Mexico: who else wore the armband in Cristiano Ronaldo’s era?
Bruno Fernandes has captained the Portugal national team for the first time in his international career, wearing the armband in the recent friendly against Mexico. With that milestone now checked off, the Manchester United midfielder joins a select group of players to have led the Selecao during the Cristiano Ronaldo era.
The muscular injury Ronaldo suffered on February 28 forced him to miss head coach Roberto Martinez’s call-up for the March international window friendlies. With the captain unavailable, the Spanish coach had to look elsewhere in the squad for someone to wear the armband.
Other players who have deputized as captain in Ronaldo’s absence, including Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias, were also absent for the March window, and with Joao Cancelo coming off the bench, the choice fell naturally to one of the starters. Against Mexico, in his 86th appearance for Portugal, Bruno Fernandes wore the armband for the 81 minutes he was on the pitch.
Ronaldo and a career defined by the Portugal captaincy
Bruno Fernandes currently ranks 13th on Portugal‘s all-time appearances list with 86 caps, having made his debut in November 2017, and sits just eight games outside the top 10. Ronaldo, however, has left those numbers far behind, having made his debut in August 2003, more than 14 years before his current teammate first pulled on the shirt.
Ronaldo’s first stint as captain came in February 2007 in a friendly against Brazil at just 22 years old, an honor bestowed in tribute to Portuguese FA president Carlos Silva, who had passed away two days before the match. It was not until late 2008, however, that he cemented himself as the undisputed first choice to lead the team. To this day, Ronaldo has worn the armband in 159 international matches, more than any other player in the history of the game.
The select few to captain Portugal in Ronaldo’s era
For the better part of two decades since 2008, Ronaldo has had an almost exclusive grip on the Portugal captaincy, leaving precious little room for anyone else to step in. Still, a handful of names have had the privilege during his absences through suspension, injury or tactical decisions.
In the early years of Ronaldo’s captaincy, the armband was occasionally shared with Simao Sabrosa before Ronaldo assumed sole leadership heading into the 2010 World Cup. During that transitional period, experienced defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Bruno Alves also had their turns at the helm.
Two of Ronaldo’s closest teammates also had their moments in the spotlight. Nani famously wore the armband during the Euro 2016 final after Ronaldo was forced off injured, while center back Pepe has captained Portugal more times than any other player during Ronaldo’s absences, making him the most prominent deputy of the era.
Since Roberto Martinez took charge, the pool of stand-in captains has widened considerably, in part due to Pepe’s retirement from international soccer in 2024. With Ronaldo unavailable at various points, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and now Bruno Fernandes have all led the side under the Spanish manager, reflecting a squad with greater depth of leadership, even if the identity of the first-choice captain remains beyond question.