Enzo Fernandez won the FIFA Young Player Award at Qatar 2022, and the versatile midfielder will arrive at the 2026 World Cup as one of the finest players on the planet in his position. Over the past few years, Fernandez's trajectory has been relentlessly upward. The former River Plate starlet flourished during a loan at Defensa y Justicia before becoming one of Los Millonarios' hottest prospects and earning a move to Benfica. He then made an instant impact for Argentina and secured a big-money move to Chelsea, where he has evolved into a complete midfielder.
Fernandez holds the distinction of being the only player to have lifted both the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. He was a key figure in Argentina's 2022 triumph before tasting glory with Chelsea at the inaugural Club World Cup. He began as an attacking midfielder before developing into an all-round midfield star capable of occupying numerous roles, displaying chameleon-like qualities within the same match.
Scaloni has made the most of Fernandez's versatility, deploying him in different positions. His curling strike against Mexico at the last World Cup sealed a 2-0 victory and earned him a starting berth from which he never looked back. Now established as one of the world's most complete midfielders, Fernandez will be central to Argentina's title defense.
