Enzo Fernandez is having a big moment. The 24-year-old soccer star is finally showing fans why Chelsea paid so much money to bring him to England. After a rocky start, he’s now one of the most important players on the team — and this weekend, he’ll be playing against his former club, Benfica, in the FIFA Club World Cup.
A Big Game Coming Up
This Saturday, Chelsea will face Benfica in Charlotte, USA. It’s part of the FIFA Club World Cup, a special tournament where the best club teams from different continents compete against each other. Fernandez will be going up against Benfica — the team he played for before joining Chelsea. It’s a special reunion, and he’s more than ready.
In Chelsea’s last game, they beat Esperance from Tunisia 3-0, and Fernandez played a huge part by setting up two of the goals (we call these assists in soccer). Now, Chelsea moves on to the last 16 of the tournament, and Fernandez is the player to watch.
From Tough Start to Top Player
When Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez in February 2023, he became the most expensive soccer player in British history. Chelsea paid £107 million (about $135 million USD) to get him from Benfica. That’s a lot of money, and at first, it was hard for him to live up to that price tag.
For a while, his performances weren’t great, and fans were worried. But in 2025, things started to change. Fernandez is now one of Chelsea’s most creative and hard-working midfielders. That means he helps control the middle of the field, make smart passes, and even score goals.
He’s stepped up especially because Cole Palmer — another talented Chelsea player — hasn’t been playing as well lately. With Palmer out of form, Fernandez has taken over the role of playmaker, which means he’s the one creating chances for his teammates to score.
A Great 2025 Season So Far
Fernandez has already made a big impact this year. In 2025, he has scored and assisted a total of 14 goals. That’s more than any other Chelsea player. The next best is Pedro Neto with 9, followed by Cole Palmer and young Tyrique George, who both have 8.
Earlier in the tournament, Fernandez also scored a goal when Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC (LAFC) 2-0 in Atlanta. That was his eighth goal of the season, and he was really proud of it.
“That’s a good number,” Fernandez said. “But for me, this is still just the beginning. I always want to do better. I want to help the team and keep improving.”
Playing in a New Role
One reason Fernandez is doing better is because of Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca. He’s let Fernandez play further forward, which means closer to the opponent’s goal. That gives Fernandez more chances to score and assist.
This new position is helping him improve his stats, and Fernandez says he wants even more goals and assists next season. That’s the kind of attitude great players have — they always want to be better.
A Special Player for Chelsea
Even though Chelsea has bought a lot of new players in the last couple of years, Fernandez is now one of the more experienced ones. He’s played through the ups and downs and has become a leader on the field.
“I enjoy the responsibility,” he said. “I try to stay focused and always give my best. I want to help the team in every way I can.”
Fernandez became a star when he helped Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He played really well and caught the attention of big clubs in Europe. After that, Chelsea brought him to England.
Fun fact: Winning the World Cup is the highest honor in soccer. It’s played every four years and features the best national teams from around the world.
Overcoming Challenges
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Fernandez. He only played 29 games for Benfica before Chelsea signed him. And during his first full season in London, he had some problems. He got injured and had to deal with a hernia, which made him miss several games.
Then, in the summer of 2024, he was criticized for singing an offensive song with some of his Argentina teammates. That brought some negative attention, but he’s been trying to stay focused on soccer.
Even though there were rumors that he might leave Chelsea, coach Enzo Maresca made it clear that Fernandez is staying. “He’s been very, very good this season,” Maresca said. “And he can be even better next season.”
Helping New Teammates
In Chelsea’s big win over Esperance, Fernandez also helped a young new player, Liam Delap, score his first goal for the club. Delap said that Fernandez gave him great advice.
“He told me when he gets the ball, just run,” Delap said. “And it worked! It was a great pass and luckily, it went in.”
With Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson suspended, Delap is likely to start again in the Benfica game. And he’ll be looking for Fernandez to help him score again.
A Look Ahead
So what’s next for Enzo Fernandez? He’s already helped Chelsea win the UEFA Conference League in May and finish 4th in the Premier League, which means they’ll play in the Champions League next season — one of the biggest competitions in the world.
He’s grown into one of the team’s most important players and is proving why he was worth the record-breaking transfer fee. He’s scoring, assisting, leading, and setting an example for younger teammates.
This weekend’s match against Benfica will be emotional, but Fernandez will be focused on helping Chelsea win and move further in the Club World Cup.
And as he said himself: “This is just the beginning.”
Soccer Facts Included:
Assist = a pass that leads to a goal.
Club World Cup = tournament with the best club teams from each continent.
Playmaker = player who creates scoring chances.
Champions League = top European club competition.
Transfer = when a player moves from one team to another, usually for money.
World Cup = top international soccer tournament every 4 years.
