Late on the evening of January 11, 2026, football fans across the globe were left scratching their heads—and, let's be honest, some were chuckling—at the bizarre activity erupting from Bruno Fernandes' official X account. The Manchester United captain, who usually maintains a low profile on social media, suddenly became the center of attention as his feed exploded with an odd mix of cryptocurrency pleas, football banter, and eyebrow-raising shoutouts. For a player whose last post before this social media storm was a modest celebration of his 300th appearance for United back in October, the sudden change in tone was nothing short of bewildering.
It all began around 11pm GMT when Fernandes' 4.5 million followers were greeted with a series of posts that seemed, at first, like the typical crypto spam. "Can anyone in the crypto scene help me make a better coin?" and "Can't work out how Zora works, anyone else knows how to make a coin?" were among the initial messages. But things quickly took a turn for the wild. The account then posted, "Using Pump.Fun now. Help me make some money, Man United are in the dumps at the moment." Even more pointedly, a coin was described as "help me leave Manchester United," a statement that surely sent a jolt through the club's fan base.
As the tweets kept coming, the tone grew increasingly personal—and controversial. "This is why I need to be paid more," read one post, echoing a sentiment that, in the world of football contracts, is never far from the headlines. But it didn't stop there. The account also posted the phrase "This is the CA for F**K manU (...)"—a clear sign that something was seriously amiss. By this point, it was clear to most that Fernandes was not the author of these posts.
Things only got stranger as the account began to branch out, tagging an eclectic mix of public figures and organizations. Adult star Bonnie Blue received a mention, as did the England cricket team, YouTuber KSI, and world darts champion Luke Littler. If that wasn't enough to raise eyebrows, the account even tweeted, "Join Macclesfield FC," referencing the non-league club's recent FA Cup giant-killing of Crystal Palace. The tweet concluded, "Excited for the future," in what can only be described as a surreal nod to one of English football's more improbable stories of the week.
Other posts included a cryptic, "I can't lie, Cristiano is packing," presumably referring to Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernandes' Portuguese compatriot and former Manchester United teammate. And just when followers thought they'd seen it all, the apparent hacker signed off for the night with a message that referenced Swiss footballer Alisha Lehmann in a manner that left many fans—understandably—cringing.
But the chaos was not quite over. As one of the final acts, the account posted an image of Manchester United's infamous 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool in 2023. For United supporters, it was a painful reminder of one of their darkest days in recent memory, and its sudden reappearance only added fuel to the firestorm engulfing Fernandes' social media presence.
By the early hours of January 12, Manchester United's communications team had seen enough. The club released an official statement on their own X account, confirming the hack and urging supporters to steer clear of any posts or direct messages from Fernandes' compromised account. "Bruno Fernandes’s X account has been hacked. Supporters should not engage with any of the posts or direct messages," read the club's warning, bringing a much-needed touch of clarity to an otherwise chaotic situation.
For many observers, the incident was a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that even the world's most high-profile athletes face in the digital age. It's not the first time a football superstar has found themselves at the mercy of hackers. In 2024, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé saw his own X account hijacked, with a slew of posts about Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Manchester United, and Tottenham making headlines. That episode, too, was a cautionary tale about the risks of online exposure for global sports icons.
Bruno Fernandes' ordeal, however, stands out for the sheer variety and audacity of the posts. From crypto scams to football banter, personal digs, and even pop culture references, the hacker left no stone unturned in their quest to sow confusion and amusement in equal measure. The fact that Fernandes is not a regular user of the platform only added to the surreal nature of the incident. For most fans, seeing their captain's account transformed overnight from a celebration of club milestones to a hotbed of controversy was jarring, to say the least.
As the dust settles, questions remain about how the breach occurred and what steps can be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. Social media security has become an increasingly hot topic in the world of professional sports, where a single errant post can spark a media frenzy or even impact a player's relationship with their club and supporters. For Fernandes, whose leadership on the pitch has rarely been in question, the episode is likely to be a temporary blip—albeit a memorable one.
Manchester United, for their part, acted swiftly to contain the fallout, removing the offending posts and reassuring fans. The club's prompt response helped to limit the spread of misinformation and restore some sense of normalcy. Still, the incident serves as a timely reminder that in today's hyper-connected world, even the most disciplined professionals are not immune to the chaos that a security lapse can unleash.
For now, Bruno Fernandes' focus will surely return to matters on the field, where Manchester United faces a crucial stretch of fixtures and the pressure to perform remains as intense as ever. Supporters will be hoping that their captain can put this social media madness behind him and lead by example—both online and off. As for the hackers, their fifteen minutes of fame are up, but the echoes of their digital mischief will linger in the footballing world for some time to come.