Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has recently concluded one of his most outstanding seasons in club football.

The Portuguese midfielder delivered an exceptional performance during the second half of the campaign, playing a pivotal role in helping Manchester United secure a third-place finish in the Premier League.

On an individual level, Fernandes had a record-breaking season, registering 21 assists in the Premier League – the highest ever recorded in the competition.

However, his international campaign was far less successful. Fernandes endured a frustrating World Cup outing, as Portugal crashed out in the Round of 16 after losing to Spain.

During the tournament, the playmaker managed only one assist and failed to score, struggling to make his usual impact for the national team.

According to a report by The Guardian, Fernandes has also become a victim of fraud alongside England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

The British publication revealed that the illegal online casinos Nightwin and QH88 had “hijacked the identity of two of the world’s most famous players, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, to present them as official partners of their brands.”

The fraudulent operators allegedly accomplished this by “using fake news articles, photographs and AI-generated videos to convince customers that the players’ endorsements were genuine.”

In Fernandes’ case, The Guardian explained that the Vietnamese sportsbook and casino website QH88 “built a website around the brand’s fictitious association with the Portugal international and invested heavily in creating an eerily realistic AI‑generated deepfake video showing the playmaker apparently signing an ambassadorial contract with QH88 representatives” at Old Trafford.

When contacted for comment, neither Fernandes’ management team, Manchester United, nor QH88 provided any statements in response to the allegations.

The Guardian further highlighted how such websites frequently breach copyright and image rights by “routinely using club crests and photographs of star players to promote brands that disregard trademarks and image rights, knowing that enforcement is virtually impossible.”

This lack of accountability stems from these companies operating largely from offshore jurisdictions and concealing their identities through multiple shell companies.

Featured image: Molly Darlington/Getty