Top five most appearance-makers from Brazil at Manchester United

There is a new record holder for most appearances from the country for the iconic English club.

Playing for Manchester United is a dream for most footballers across the world. The most successful English club, winners of the English top flight 20 times, enjoys a huge fan following across the globe. Only elite footballers get to represent the club that has seen legends like Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and more play for it.

Players from several countries have played for Manchester United, including Brazil. The nation is famous for producing sensational footballers. At present, Casemiro, Antony and Fred are part of Erik ten Hag’s squad from the South American nation. 

However, one of them recently became the longest-serving Brazilian at the club. Here is a look at the top five appearance makers from Brazil and Manchester United:

Fabio Da Silva - 56

Fabio was one of the two brothers, twins, who made their name at Manchester United. He made 56 appearances for the club, lesser than his elder brother Rafael. Fabio joined the club in 2007 along with his brother.

He went on to play for the Red Devils for seven years, although as a squad player, until securing a move to Cardiff City in January 2014. The 32-year-old now plays for the Brazilian club Grêmio.

Andreas Pereira - 75

Andreas Pereira was one of those players at Manchester United who had tons of potential. However, the attacking midfielder could not hold a regular place in the senior squad for long periods of time. He signed for Manchester United in 2011 and spent loan spells at clubs like Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo before finally leaving in 2022 to join Fulham on a permanent basis.

Popularly known as “pre-season Pirlo”, Andreas Pereira made 75 appearances for Manchester United at the senior level, scoring four goals and making five assists. 

Rafael Da Silva - 170

Fabio’s twin brother Rafael enjoyed a very fruitful time at Manchester United. He was the more successful sibling and a fantastic right-back who played across 170 matches for the Red Devils. He won three Premier League, two League Cup, three Community Shield and one FIFA Club World Cup trophy with the club. 

The 32-year-old currently plays for Botafogo in Brazil. He left MUFC in 2015 to join Olympique Lyonnais in France.

Anderson - 181

Up until recently, Anderson made the highest number of appearances from Brazil for Manchester United. The midfielder played 181 matches for the senior team during his playing days. He joined the club in 2007 from FC Porto for a fee in the region of €31.50m. 

Anderson won four Premier League titles in a successful spell with the Red Devils. In addition, he also won a UEFA Champions League trophy in 2007-08 among other silverware. He currently works as an Assistant Manager at Adana Demirspor Youth, a club in Turkey for which he played briefly before retiring. 

Fred - 182

Fred became the highest appearance-making Brazilian at Manchester United recently. The midfielder has now played 182 matches for the club. He joined the Red Devils in 2018 from Shaktar Donetsk for a €59.00m fee. He came to the Premier League after winning 10 trophies with the Ukrainian club.

Although Fred is yet to win a trophy with MUFC, he will likely play more matches and extend his record. Presently, Fred plays an important squad role for Erik ten Hag, often coming on as a substitute to inject more energy in midfield.