Enzo Fernández’s rise was unusually quick. In 2022 he was playing for River Plate; within months he had moved to Benfica, broken into Argentina’s World Cup squad, scored against Mexico in Qatar and been named the tournament’s best young player as Argentina won the trophy.
Chelsea signed him in January 2023 for a then-British record fee of more than £100 million. His early seasons at Stamford Bridge were uneven for a team in transition, but he grew into a leadership role and lifted the UEFA Conference League and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Fernández also won the 2024 Copa América. In summer 2026 he moved to Manchester City for £125 million, reuniting with Enzo Maresca, the coach who had used him as a box-to-box midfielder at Chelsea.
Playing style
Fernández is a midfielder who can do almost everything. He is an excellent passer, both short and long, and at Chelsea he developed a knack for arriving in the box to score. He is comfortable dropping deep to receive from defenders, turning under pressure and switching play quickly. His work rate is high and his tackling is aggressive. Enzo Maresca used him as an attacking No. 8 with freedom to make runs into the penalty area, a role that brought his best goalscoring form. He is also known as a vocal leader on the pitch.
International career
Fernández made his senior Argentina debut in 2022 and was a surprise inclusion in the World Cup squad. He scored a superb curling goal against Mexico in the group stage, became a starter in the knockout rounds and was named the tournament’s best young player as Argentina won. He added the 2024 Copa América and has been a regular for the national team since.
Career in numbers
Fernández’s senior club career, which began in 2019/20, has so far brought 287 appearances and 49 goals for 5 clubs. The 2025/26 season, with 15 goals from 54 matches for Chelsea, remains his highest tally. So far in 2026/27 he has 1 goal in 5 appearances for Chelsea and Manchester City. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.