Hidden heartwarming theory behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s assist for Bruno Fernandes explained

One fan theory has emerged that highlights an emotional reason behind why Cristiano Ronaldo chose to assist Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes rather than score himself on Saturday.

Portugal‘s campaign to retake the European Championships trophy has gotten off to a brilliant start. The side has won both of their first two fixtures, defeating Czechia 2-1 before winning 3-0 against Turkey on Saturday afternoon.

In the latter fixture, Manchester United club captain Bruno Fernandes netted the third goal of the game, assisted by Old Trafford legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

Read More: Marcus Rashford’s stance on Erik ten Hag staying at Man United, sends clear message

However, many seemed surprised by Ronaldo’s choice to pass the ball to Fernandes rather than shoot himself, with the 39-year-old well-known for his killer instinct in front of goal.

However, a new, more emotional theory has emerged that explains why Ronaldo may have made this decision beyond the fact that Fernandes may have been in a better position to strike.

In the first half of the tie, Ronaldo was seen wearing bright green boots, but in the second half, he was wearing pink shoes. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that Ronaldo’s boots say “Matilde,” which is Fernandes’ daughter’s name.

Fans on Reddit have claimed that Fernandes lent Ronaldo his boots at halftime, with others then theorising that this was the reason for the international captain’s actions.

“Ah that’s why he assisted Bruno for the third goal instead of just score by himself,” a fan then wrote underneath the post.

Fernandes and Ronaldo are known to have formed a good working relationship while the pair played together at Manchester United and have clearly continued to do so with Portugal.

The Navigators are among the favourites to win the competition this summer and retain the trophy they claimed in 2016. Germany and Spain have also put in strong performances so far in the tournament.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.