Bruno Fernandes equalled Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s record after scoring a hat-trick to lead Manchester United to a 5–2 victory over Ipswich Town on Matchday 2 of the Premier League.
The Red Devils’ captain reached his third hat-trick in all competitions for Manchester United, drawing level with Ronaldo, who also scored three hat-tricks across his two spells at Old Trafford.
United fell behind to an early Ipswich goal before Fernandes sparked the comeback by equalizing in the 40th minute. He added a second from the penalty spot in the 61st minute and completed his hat-trick just seven minutes later.
An own goal by Jacob Greaves and a fifth strike from Bryan Mbeumo sealed the win, securing manager Michael Carrick’s first three points of the new season and swiftly bouncing back from an opening-day 2–0 defeat to Hull City.
The Ipswich hat-trick carries a unique coincidence for the Portuguese star: his first Premier League hat-trick came against Leeds United in 2021 during Manchester United’s opening home match of that season, repeating the exact scenario in their first home fixture of the 2026–2027 campaign.
Fernandes’ other hat-trick for the Red Devils came against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League in March 2025, while Ronaldo netted his treble performances against Newcastle United in 2008, and Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City in 2022.
The 31-year-old raised his total tally for Manchester United to 110 goals in 329 appearances across all competitions since joining from Sporting CP in January 2020, continuing to cement his status as one of the club’s most influential players in modern history.
This performance follows an exceptional season in which Fernandes was named Premier League Player of the Year after recording 9 goals and 22 assists across all competitions, kicking off the new campaign with a clear statement that Manchester United’s resurgence remains driven by their Portuguese captain.
