Captain, Hackers, and Hasty Warnings: United Alerts Fans as Bruno Fernandes' X Account Is Compromised
12 January 2026
Account hack and official response
Manchester United issued a formal statement on Sunday confirming that Bruno Fernandes' X account was hacked late on Sunday evening.
The incident followed a series of unusual and controversial posts appearing on the captain's official profile.
Context and aftermath
The Portugal international had played the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton.
Followers, numbering around 4.5 million, saw the compromised posts circulate just hours after the game, prompting the club to issue an urgent warning to supporters.
In the club's official statement, United urged fans not to interact with posts or direct messages originating from Fernandes' hacked account.
Some of the fake posts attacked the club’s leadership and criticized INEOS, which co-owns the team, and those posts were later deleted.
The last verified Bruno Fernandes post dates back to October, when he celebrated his 300th appearance for the club.
The club said it would review its social media security and advised patience while investigators looked into the breach.
Punchline 1: If a captain’s tweets can be hacked, perhaps the hackers’ best play is to attack the firewall, not the flair.
Punchline 2: And remember, in football and cybersecurity alike, the only thing more offside than a misread post is a poorly protected password—so maybe it’s time to upgrade the defense, both on the pitch and online.
