Enzo Fernandez begged Messi to stay in 2016. Now he carries him

5 min readUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 11:45 AM IST

Enzo Fernandez is arguably Argentina's second-most influential player behind Lionel Messi in this FIFA World Cup. (AP Photo)

Go back and watch Enzo Fernandez when the English boos drown out the Argentine national anthem in Atlanta. Notice the ironclad grip he has on the shoulders of Alexis MacAllister and Nahuel Molina. Not one Argentine singing, all of them screaming. Screaming back. Eleven against all. Themes of the Falklands, memories of every battle against England wrought in their minds. And there is Enzo, an able conductor, now a midfield general, guiding them through that hailstorm of emotion, and later, skill.

He is neither Riquelme, nor is he Redondo. But in a minefield surrounded by Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, four astute English ball-winners, Enzo had only one request: pass me the ball. Enzo asked for the ball 75 times in a 90-minute war, the most of any Argentine, Messi included.

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At 25, this is his second World Cup campaign. He is arguably Argentina’s second-most influential player behind Messi. That Enzo-to-Messi link is the lifeblood of Argentina’s football transitioning from its midfield to its offense. On Wednesday, he did it all. Just like he did back in Qatar when Scaloni, running out of options on making Argentina tick, brought him on against Mexico, a decision that skyrocketed Messi’s international trajectory and brought a South American team to the forefront of world football again.

Enzo Fernandez celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the World Cup semifinal against England. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Back then, Enzo was known as one of the best products to come out of River Plate. Born to Raul and Marta Fernandez, his name itself set his destiny up. There is a coincidence that Raul Fernandez and Zinedine Zidane both named their sons Enzo based on the same footballer, Uruguayan legend Enzo Francescoli. The attacking midfielder won three Copa titles for Uruguay but it was his exploits for River that elevated his legendary status in Argentina. The long-time River supporting father had no option.

Enzo’s childhood was not easy. His father was a construction worker, always on the lookout for jobs. His mother worked as a cleaner. With four brothers to feed, football needed to be more than passion. River Plate spotted his talent. One of the first scouting reports on him came back with a line that stands true today: ‘He was so young, but you could see how intelligent he was.’ This was at the age of 5.

The teenage years were tough. He was called ‘fatty’, for being short and putting on some weight. He fell behind in age-group football but at the age of 17, coaches started to notice his on-ball talents, particularly in that no-man’s land between a midfield and offense. Soon a push to the first team happened. From there, Enzo’s rise has been mercurial, first landing in Benfica, then winning the 2022 World Cup and then moving to the Premier League with Chelsea. Now there are talks of Real Madrid and Chelsea in a desperate tug-of-war over him. The England semi-final performance showed why.

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All through a volatile evening, Enzo tested the scope of his rifle. The first shot came in the 37th minute. Messi tried his luck first and the rebound fell to Enzo who took a pop from far out. The ball flew over Pickford’s crossbar. It wouldn’t be the last of the night. In the 60th minute, Enzo went for it again. This time it was from the right side, outside the English box. Gordon had already scored and Argentina were down a goal. To most it may have seemed like a wasteful attempt; but Enzo was one of the few calibrating their right foot. The last of those adjustments came in the 84th minute. Pickford was finally called into action, with Enzo’s third long-range shot of the evening needing to be parried out of danger.

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And then came the goal. Eerily similar to a guided missile that he had launched against the Netherlands in Qatar in 2022. Only that shot hit the post. Against England, he timed it better, and struck it harder. The ball sailed in and the comeback was on. Minutes later, Lautaro Martinez headed the ball in and a trip to the World Cup final was complete.

In 2016, when Messi decided to take a premature retirement from international football, Enzo, then a teenager, was one of the many young Argentines who wrote to Messi begging him not to give up on his World Cup dream. Then in Qatar, Enzo became the final piece Messi and Argentina needed to complete their fairytale. In a powder-keg that is a World Cup semi-final against England, the midfielder ended the night hoisting Messi on his shoulders as the capacity crowd in Atlanta chanted the legend’s name. One more final to go. One more World Cup to win for his idol.