Enzo Fernández shows real quality for Argentina but Chelsea future is up in the air

Enzo Fernández was an unstoppable mix of style and spite during Argentina’s win over England. The midfielder’s first contribution during Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta was to plough into Elliot Anderson and clobber Manchester City’s new £116m signing round the head. He escaped without a booking, though, and made the most of some generous refereeing by showing the other side to his game when Argentina took control after going 1-0 down early in the second half.

Much has already been said about England’s attempt to hold on to their lead. A particular frustration for fans who watch the Premier League every week was that not enough was done to disrupt Fernández. The Chelsea midfielder is a wonderful player in possession but can struggle when opponents run past him. That weakness has caused structural issues for Chelsea and will be a factor if they decide to sell the Argentinian this summer. Against England, though, Fernández was given space to do as he pleased during the second half. He pulled the strings next to Alexis Mac Allister and proved his big-game mentality by scoring the equaliser with a bending shot from 25 yards in the 85th minute.

Fernández had clearly spotted a weakness in the England goal. He shot four times from long range and his final effort caught Jordan Pickford out. England never reacted to the danger. They stopped making Fernández look the other way. The statistics show Fernández won only three of his nine ground duels during the game. On the other hand he had more touches than anyone else on the pitch (104) and had a 98% pass completion rate.

Fernández enjoyed it. On his Instagram stories he posted a picture of himself laughing with Lionel Messi and Leandro Paredes at Argentina’s training ground and used Wonderwall as the soundtrack. It will probably not endear Fernández to English crowds but he is unlikely to care. In case you haven’t noticed, he is pretty intrigued by the idea of living in Spain. There was a clash with Chelsea at the end of last season, resulting in the club banning Fernández for two games, and it will be interesting to see if the 25-year-old has done enough at the World Cup to convince Real Madrid to push for his signature.

From a scouting perspective, Fernández could not have picked a better country to play against in Sunday’s final. Madrid, who have already signed Marc Cucurella from Chelsea this summer, will surely take note if Fernández stars against Spain. José Mourinho needs additions in midfield, which is where Madrid have suffered most in recent years. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos exiting left a creative vacuum and, although Madrid took the surprising step of issuing a public denial of any interest in Fernández this month, there are suggestions that they remain interested in signing the Argentinian.

Chelsea’s asking price of £120m is too high. There is also an argument that Fernández’s displays on the international stage should make Chelsea think twice about agreeing to a sale if Madrid come calling. Xabi Alonso, the latest manager looking to usher in a sense of order at Stamford Bridge, needs fighters. Fernández has not always covered himself in glory but it is worth noting that he has experienced chaos with his club and stability with his country. He looks more at ease in an Argentina shirt. He has emerged as a leader for his national side and could be the same for Alonso at Chelsea.

Fernández is a clutch player. He has become an expert box crasher for Chelsea and scored 12 goals last season. Fernández times his runs expertly and finishes well. He even offers a threat in the air, as Egypt discovered when he knocked them out in the last 16 with a beautiful header in added time.

That was one of many examples of the former Benfica midfielder producing for Argentina in crucial moments. It was similar when they won the 2022 World Cup, although the difference then was that Fernández was not in the team at the start of the tournament. He was 21 and waited for Lionel Scaloni to give him a chance. It arrived with Argentina needing a win against Mexico in their second game. Fernández was sent on with the deadlock yet to be broken in the 57th minute. Messi scored seven minutes later and Fernández made it 2-0 with a lovely strike in the 87th minute.

There was no looking back. Fernández became a fixture in midfield and was named young player of the tournament. He was catapulted into stardom and joined Chelsea for £106.7m a month after the World Cup final. It was not always easy. Fernández was rightly pilloried for being filmed taking part in a racist chant about the France team after Argentina’s triumph in the Copa América in 2024. Fences had to be mended with his Chelsea teammates that summer. Fernández apologised for the incident in an interview last year.

Will it all be enough to earn Fernández a spot in the same Bernabéu dressing room as Kylian Mbappé? How he fares against the great Spanish midfield could have an impact. Fernández has worked towards this moment. He has honed his physique during his time in England. He is the Argentina player with the most sprints and high-speed running. Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabián Ruiz will pose a tougher test than Anderson and Declan Rice, though. Fernández’s level will have to rise again if he is to become a world champion again.