While the Portugal international may not be everyone’s cup of tea, he is a skilled player with a big name. Part of this is due to his professional path — you don’t play for Sporting, Manchester United, and Portugal without garnering a lot of fans — but he’s also a very appealing man. Part of it is because of his tattoos.

With that in mind, let’s look at Bruno Fernandes’ tattoos and what they symbolize.

Why does Bruno Fernandes have a tattoo with the number ’23’?

The number 23 is most commonly associated with Michael Jordan in the world of sports. While Fernandes may be a fan of His Airness, that does not appear to be the most likely explanation for the tattoo.

The midfielder has a modest 23 tattoo on the back of his left forearm that dates back to his senior debut for the Portuguese national team. He donned number 23 on that occasion as the symbolic new kid on campus.

Fernandes has now climbed through the ranks and wore some more traditional outfits. However, 23 remains on his arm.

A second Bruno Fernandes tattoo includes some personal references.

Fernandes’ 23 tattoo is personal, although it isn’t very obvious. His other ink, on the other hand, stands out more.

The Manchester United player wears a big black band, the letter “BF,” and the number eight on his right forearm. While that may appear to be branding (the midfielder wears number eight and his name is Bruno Fernandes, after all), something deeper is at work.

In July 2022, the Portuguese international discussed taking over Manchester United’s number eight shirt with Joe Nelson of the club’s official website. He added that his choice of number is a tribute to his father, who wore number eight before abandoning sports to support his family.

Bruno Fernandes’ tattoo reflects this family link.

“The B is the last name of my mum, Borges, and the F is the last name of my father, Fernandes,” he explained. “The eight is the day of my birthday! So this number eight says a lot about me, says a lot about my family, says a lot about my past and that’s why I like to use [it]. And that’s why it’s my preferred number.”

From a distance, it may appear that there is a lot of potential for individualization in a team activity like soccer. Fernandes, on the other hand, carries his story with him every time he takes the field.