Casemiro gave Rio Ferdinand two neat talking points in one interview, but the one that matters most for Manchester United fans is his defence of Bruno Fernandes. The former Real Madrid midfielder said Fernandes is the sort of player who plays forward, takes risks and does not hide behind passing percentages. He also said Gareth Bale was the most complete teammate he ever had.

Why Casemiro values Fernandes’s forward passing

Casemiro’s quote on Fernandes was blunt. He dismissed the idea of “negative passing”, then praised Fernandes for trying to break teams open every time he receives the ball. “What I love about Bruno is he plays forward every time,” Casemiro said. “Every time, he kills the opposing team.”

That view matches the numbers. Fernandes has created 124 chances in 2025-26 and 30 big chances, which is a pretty clear sign that he is not just keeping possession ticking over. He is turning touches into danger. He also has 19 assists, leaving him one short of the Premier League single-season record of 20.

There are two games left for Manchester United, so the record chase is still alive. Fernandes is not being framed here as flawless, and Casemiro did not say every forward pass is the right one. His point was narrower and better than that: the midfielder who risks the ball and creates openings is usually worth more than the one who finishes with a tidy passing map.

Why Bale came before Ronaldo in Casemiro’s answer

The other line from the interview is the one that will annoy a few people. Casemiro chose Bale as the most complete player he played alongside at Real Madrid, while also saying Cristiano Ronaldo was “in a league of his own”. That is not a slight on Ronaldo, who Casemiro still put outside the comparison for a different reason. It is a statement about all-round game, not about status.

His description of Bale was specific enough to explain the pick. Casemiro said Bale attacks, defends, is good in the air, scores goals and wins free-kicks. That is a wider set of tools than pure end product, and it is exactly why the answer is interesting. Ronaldo may have been the best, as Casemiro put it, but Bale was the more rounded player in this frame.

Casemiro also nodded to the standards at Madrid, where winning one competition simply moves the pressure to the next. That mentality sits behind a lot of these answers. He was not trying to flatter everyone in the room. He was separating brilliance from completeness, and on Bale he clearly preferred the latter.

For Manchester United, the useful part of the interview is the Fernandes section. The assist chase is real, but Casemiro’s stronger point is about how Fernandes plays, not just what he has accumulated. If he gets one more assist, the record will be shared. If he does not, the numbers still back the style.

FAQ

Will Bruno Fernandes break the Premier League assist record this season?

Bruno Fernandes is one assist short of the Premier League single-season record after reaching 19 in 2025-26. Manchester United have two league matches left, so he still has a chance to match the 20 set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Why does Casemiro rate Bruno Fernandes so highly as a passer?

Casemiro said he likes Fernandes because he plays forward every time rather than hiding behind safe passing. The numbers back that up too: Fernandes has created 124 chances and 30 big chances in 2025-26, while also sitting on 19 assists.

Why did Casemiro pick Gareth Bale over Cristiano Ronaldo?

Casemiro said Bale was the most complete player he played with at Real Madrid. He said Ronaldo was in a league of his own, but still described Bale as someone who attacks, defends, is good in the air, scores goals and wins free-kicks.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →