Read for 5 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 11:45 AM IST
Go back and watch Enzo Fernandez as English boos drown out Argentina’s national anthem in Atlanta. Check out his iron grip on the shoulders of Alexis McAllister and Nahuel Molina. Not a single Argentinian is singing, they are all shouting. Screaming back. All against eleven. The theme of the Falklands, the memories of every battle against England, was etched in his mind. And there’s Enzo, an able conductor, now a midfield general, guiding them through that hailstorm of emotion and, later, skill.
It’s not Riquelme and it’s not Redondo. But in a minefield surrounded by four shrewd English ball-winners in Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson, Enzo had only one request: pass me the ball. Enzo asked for the ball 75 times in the 90-minute battle, which included more than any Argentine, Messi.
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This is his second World Cup campaign at the age of 25. He is Argentina’s second most influential player after Messi. The Enzo-to-Messi link is the lifeblood of Argentine football’s transition from midfield to its offense. He did it all on Wednesday. With Argentina running out of options to make it tick, Scaloni returned to Qatar to fight against Mexico, a decision that skyrocketed Messi’s international career and put the South American side back at the forefront of world football.
Enzo Fernandez celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal in the World Cup semi-final against England. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In the past, Enzo was known as one of the best products to come out of the River Plate. Born to Raul and Marta Fernandes, his name determined his destiny. Coincidentally, both Raul Fernandez and Zinedine Zidane named their sons Enzo after the same footballer, Uruguayan legend Enzo Francescoli. The attacking midfielder won three Copa titles for Uruguay but his exploits for River elevated his status as a legend in Argentina. The father who supported the river for a long time had no choice.
Enzo’s childhood was not easy. His father was a construction worker, always looking for work. His mother worked as a sweeper. To feed the four brothers, football needed more than passion. River Plate recognized his talent. One of the first scouting reports on him echoed a line that rings true today: ‘He was very young, but you could see how smart he was.’ This was at the age of 5.
The teenage years were tough. He was called ‘fatty’, because he was short and put on a little weight. He fell behind in football through the ages but at the age of 17, coaches began to notice his on-ball talent, especially in the no-man’s land between midfield and offense. Soon the first team was shocked. From there, Enzo’s rise was transparent, first landing at Benfica, then winning the 2022 World Cup and then moving to the Premier League with Chelsea. Now there is talk of a fierce tug-of-war between Real Madrid and Chelsea over him. England’s semi-final performance showed why.
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One unsettled evening Enzo checked 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 long pop. The ball went over Pickford’s crossbar. That night would not be the last. Enzo scored again in the 60th minute. This time it was on the right side, outside the English box. Gordon had already scored and Argentina were one goal behind. Most would have thought it a futile effort; But Enzo was one of the few who measured their right leg. The last of those adjustments took place in the 84th minute. Pickford was finally called into action to keep Enzo’s third long-range shot of the evening out of danger.
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And then came the goal. Eerily similar to the guided missile he fired at the Netherlands in Qatar in 2022. Only that shot hit the post. Against England, he did it better, and did it harder. The ball goes in and the comeback begins. Minutes later, Lautaro Martinez headed the ball in and the trip to the World Cup final was complete.
In 2016, when Messi decided to retire prematurely from international football, Enzo, a teenager, was one of many young Argentines who pleaded with Messi not to give up on his World Cup dream. Then in Qatar, Enzo Messi became the final piece Argentina needed to complete their fairytale. In the World Cup semi-final against England, the midfielder ended the night by shouldering Messi as the capacity crowd in Atlanta chanted the legend’s name. There is one more final to be played. One more World Cup win for his idol.