Manuel Henriques Fernandes (born 5 February 1986 in Lisbon), called Manuel Fernandes (pron. IPA: /mɐ.nu.'ɛɫ fɨɾ.'nɐ̃.ðɨʃ/) for short, is a young Portuguese football (soccer) player who plays for SL Benfica, and is starring in the Portuguese national team. Manuel Fernandes is a defensive midfielder and, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and João Moutinho, is being recognized as the future of the Portuguese national team, with Cristiano Ronaldo the most proven player among the three.
He made his debut for the senior team of Benfica in the 2003/04 SuperLiga, and become a first team regular player in the 2004/05 season, helping Benfica to win the Superliga after an 11 years hiatus. His first international appearance came against the Republic of Ireland, in 2004. In the next match of the national team, a friendly game against Canada, Manuel Fernandes scored his first international goal.
