Watch video: Enzo Fernandez made me look like a novice footballer.

Watch video: Enzo Fernandez made me look like a novice footballer.

How Enzo Fernández Has Lived up to the Hype and Delivered on the World’s Biggest Stage for Argentina

January 4, 2023 Player Analysis

Throughout the current 2022/23 season, Enzo Fernández has emerged as one of the most talented midfielders in European football. Having only joined Benfica from Argentine giants River Plate in the summer of 2022, Fernández has quickly proven that the reported €10 million (plus an additional €8 million) fee Benfica paid to acquire his services was a considerable bargain.

 

With a €120 million release clause inserted into his Benfica contract, the Primeira Liga leaders will be looking to make a substantial profit on the gifted youngster if/when the time should come for him to leave the club; a possibility that is becoming increasingly likely as he continues to impress. It goes without saying that €120 million is an exorbitant fee to pay for any footballer, let alone one who has yet to complete a full season in Europe, but if the last few months have taught us anything, it is that a fee in that region would only be justifiable for a handful of young players and Enzo Fernández certainly belongs in that group.

 

Despite his hot start to the season, many football fans were still unaware of Enzo Fernández and his transcendent abilities. He’s been a vital cog in the machine that has led to Benfica’s fairly comfortable lead atop the Portuguese first division, as well as playing a key role in the club securing top spot in a Champions League group that included Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

 

When one includes the fact that Benfica remain undefeated in all competitions this season, it is quite a surprise that the Buenos-Aires born midfielder hadn’t received the same public acclaim as some of his contemporaries such as Aurélien Tchouaméni, Jude Bellingham and Pedri. This was until the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

 

Enzo Fernández started the World Cup on the bench, and his absence was certainly felt as Argentina suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia. The midfield trio of Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul and Papu Gómez simply did not provide enough control or deep progression in the middle of the park, forcing Lionel Messi to drop deeper and become less dangerous higher up the pitch.