T he World Cup turned Enzo Fernández into a global superstar. The midfielder was highly regarded in Argentina after breaking through at River Plate and his standing had grown during his brief spell with Benfica.
However, it was in Qatar where he truly rose to prominence. Lionel Scaloni used Fernández from the bench in Argentina’s first two games, but his goal against Mexico convinced the manager to start the young midfielder for the remainder of the tournament.
They did not look back. Argentina went on to lift the World Cup and Fernández cemented his reputation as one of the best in his position in the game, winning the tournament’s Young Player award – an honour previously bestowed on Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Thomas Müller and Kylian Mbappé among others.
A star had been born. Europe’s richest clubs circled but it was Chelsea who bowed to Benfica’s demands to pay his release clause in full, landing the midfielder on deadline day for £106.8m.