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Enzo Jeremías Fernández (born 17 January 2001) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Primeira Liga club Benfica and the Argentina national team.

Enzo Fernández

Fernández with Benfica in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Enzo Jeremías Fernández[1]
Date of birth	(2001-01-17) 17 January 2001 (age 21)
Place of birth	San Martín, Argentina
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s)	Central midfielder[3]
Club information
Current team	Benfica
Number	13
Youth career
2005–2006	Club La Recova
2006–2019	River Plate
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2022	River Plate	40	(10)
2020–2021	→ Defensa y Justicia (loan)	14	(0)
2022–	Benfica	13	(1)
National team‡
2019	Argentina U18	2	(0)
2022–	Argentina	3	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:51, 13 November 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:51, 16 November 2022

As an academy graduate of River Plate, Fernández made his first-team debut for the club in 2019 before spending two seasons with Defensa y Justicia on loan. There, he enjoyed a successful campaign which culminated in him winning the Copa Sudamericana and Recopa Sudamericana, before returning to River Plate in 2021. Following his return, Fernández established himself as an integral player for River Plate in the following years, and won the Argentine Primera División. In July 2022, he joined Portuguese Primeira Liga side Benfica.

Fernández is a former youth international for Argentina, representing his country at under-18, before making his senior international debut in 2022.

Club career

River Plate

Early career

Born in San Martín, Argentina, Fernández was one of five brothers and started playing football at the age of six for local side Club La Recova for most his embryonic years, before joining River Plate in 2006.[4][5] After thirteen years spent progressing through the ranks, Fernández was promoted into the club's first-team by manager Marcelo Gallardo in 27 January 2019, in a 3–1 home loss to Patronato in the Primera División, despite remaining on the bench.[2] He made his first-team debut on 4 March 2020, replacing Santiago Sosa in the 75th minute of a 3–0 loss to L.D.U. Quito in the Copa Libertadores.[2] In the weeks prior, he scored once, in the 6–1 thrashing of Libertad, in four games at the 2020 U-20 Copa Libertadores in Paraguay.[2]

2020–21: Loan to Defensa y Justicia

Despite being sporadically used Fernández's manager advised him to leave the club on loan, in order to continue his development.[6] In August, Fernández was loaned to fellow top-flight club Defensa y Justicia.[2][7] He made his debut for the Halcón on 18 September by manager Hernán Crespo in a 3–0 win over Delfín in the Copa Libertadores.[2][8] Despite initially not being a started, his performances impressed his manager and eventually he earned a place in the team, helping the club win the 2020 Copa Sudamericana, starting in the 3–0 win over fellow Argentinian side Lanús in the final, winning his first career title.[6]

2021–22: First-team breakthrough

After impressing on loan, Fernández returned to River Plate, during the season at the request of manager Marcelo Gallardo, making his return on 15 July 2021, in the first leg of Copa Libertadores round-of-16, featuring in the 1–1 home draw to fellow Argentinan side Argentinos Juniors.[6] He immediately became a starter and on 14 August, he scored his first goal for the club and provided an assist in a 2–0 win over Vélez Sarsfield in the Primera División.[6] On 20 December, he agreed to a contract extension to 2025.[9] Following a promising start in the 2022 season, which he scored eight goals and provided six assists in 19 games, Fernández was named the best active footballer in Argentina, being subsequently scouted by a number of established European teams.[6][10][11][12]

Benfica

On 23 June 2022, River Plate reached an agreement with Primeira Liga team Benfica for the transfer of Fernández for a €10 million fee for 75% of his economic rights plus €8 million in add-ons, but with the player remaining at River Plate until the end of the club's Copa Libertadores campaign.[13][14] Following River Plate's round of 16 exit from the Copa Libertadores, on 14 July, Benfica confirmed the deal,[15] being given the number 13 shirt, previously worn by club legend Eusébio.[16]

He made his debut for the club on 2 August, scoring his first goal the club, a half-volley from outside the penalty area, in a 4–1 home win over Midtjylland in the 1st leg of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, before also scoring in Benfica's next matches in the Primeira Liga against Arouca (4–0) and in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round against Midtjylland (3–1).[17] His impressive performances continued throughtout the month and following a run of five consecutive wins and three clean sheets, he was named the Primeira Liga's Midfielder of the Month.[18]

International career

On 24 July 2019, Fernández was selected by the Argentina U18s manager Esteban Solari to represent his nation at the 2019 COTIF Tournament in Spain.[4][19] On 3 November 2021, he was called up by Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni for two 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay.[6] He made his senior team debut on 24 September 2022, by coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for Leandro Paredes in a 3–0 win against Honduras.[20]

Style of play

During his career, Fernández has been deployed in a deep-seated playmaking role as a central midfielder, responsible for breaking up play, dictating the tempo and recycling possession, although he is also capable of playing in a more advanced role as an attacking midfielder. He usually makes quick short passes, accurate long passes, and lobbed balls. He is very combative in his midfield duels, protects the space and his backline efficiently, he posses a good passing range, excellent vision and high levels of accuracy, which is very purposeful in his midfield actions and can dribble into dangerous territory or out of it to devastating effect. He thrives in receiving the ball in tight spaces and is very press-resistant due to his wonderful low sense of gravity, balance and flexibility in his body movements. He excels at quick short passes, passing to break lines or to play through attackers running to space, but also passing in the means of keeping possession to move around and tire opposition shapes. Fernández excels out of possession, always looking to get into the right positions to stop of opposition attacks, disrupting moves, whilst also being in the right place at the right time to intercept passes. In addition, he is a good dribbler and can move the ball forward either through his passing. He prefers operating centrally but can sometimes be seen in the left half-space usually in a partnership with Florentino Luís.[21][22][23][24][25][26]

Personal life

Fernández is named after three-time Copa América winner Enzo Francescoli; due to his father Raúl's fascination with the Uruguayan footballer.[5]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 November 2022[2][27]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
River Plate	2019–20	Argentine Primera División	0	0	0	0	0	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	—		1	0
	2021		20	2	0	0	—		3[lower-alpha 1]	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	24	2
	2022		20	8	0	0	—		6[lower-alpha 1]	2	0	0	26	10
	Total		40	10	0	0	0	0	10	2	1	0	51	12
Defensa y Justicia (loan)	2020–21[nb 1]	Argentine Primera División	4	0	2	0	1	0	10[lower-alpha 3]	1	—		17	1
	2021		10	0	0	0	—		4[lower-alpha 1]	0	2[lower-alpha 4]	0	16	0
	Total		14	0	2	0	1	0	14	1	2	0	33	1
Benfica	2022–23	Primeira Liga	13	1	2	0	0	0	9[lower-alpha 5]	2	—		24	3
Career total			67	11	4	0	1	0	33	5	3	0	108	16

International

As of match played 16 November 2022[2]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Argentina	2022	3	0
Total		3	0

Honours

Defensa y Justicia

• Copa Sudamericana: 2020
• Recopa Sudamericana: 2021

River Plate

• Argentine Primera División: 2021

Individual

• CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana Squad of the Season: 2020
• Primeira Liga Midfielder of the Month: August 2022

Notes

References

External links

• Enzo Fernández at Soccerway

На других языках

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[de] Enzo Fernández (Fußballspieler, 2001)

Enzo Jeremías Fernández (* 17. Januar 2001 in San Martín) ist ein argentinischer Fußballspieler, der bei Benfica Lissabon unter Vertrag steht. Er kommt als zentraler Mittelfeldspieler zum Einsatz.

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- [en] Enzo Fernández (footballer, born 2001)

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[es] Enzo Fernández

Enzo Jeremías Fernández (San Martín, área metropolitana de Buenos Aires, 17 de enero de 2001) es un futbolista argentino. Se desempeña como mediocampista y actualmente juega en S. L. Benfica de la Primeira Liga de Portugal. Es internacional con la selección Argentina.

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[fr] Enzo Fernández (football, 2001)

Enzo Fernández, né le 17 janvier 2001 à San Martín en Argentine, est un footballeur argentin qui évolue actuellement au poste de milieu central au Benfica Lisbonne.

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[it] Enzo Fernández (calciatore 2001)

Enzo Jeremías Fernández (San Martín, 17 gennaio 2001) è un calciatore argentino, centrocampista del Benfica e della nazionale argentina.

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[ru] Фернандес, Энцо

Энцо Херемиас Фернандес (исп. Enzo Jeremías Fernández; родился 17 января 2001, Кордова) — аргентинский футболист, полузащитник клуба «Бенфика».

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