The Enzo derby: Chelsea midfielder set for Benfica reunion

• Fernandez will face Benfica for the first time since leaving in 2023
• Midfielder has two assists and a goal so far at the Club World Cup
• He made a huge impact at Benfica despite only six months in Lisbon

Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea FC side face SL Benfica at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ on Saturday in a last-16 match that is being called “the Enzo derby."

All eyes will be on the Argentinian midfielder at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, where he will go against his former club for the first time since leaving Lisbon for London in 2023. And given his current form, the reunion could not have come at a better time.

"The secret is to work hard day in, day out, to always believe in yourself and to never give up," Fernandez told FIFA before the start of the Club World Cup.

"My team-mates also give me a lot of support. [And] I really believe in [coach Enzo Maresca's] philosophy. He has taught me a lot and has really helped me grow as a player."

The 24-year-old midfielder continued his excellent performances last Tuesday, when he provided two assists in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Espérance. The first came from a free-kick floated into the box, where Tosin Adarabioyo duly headed home. Two minutes later, Fernandez played a sumptuous ball through to new Blues striker Liam Delap, who broke into the area and slotted past the goalkeeper.

Fernandez took the armband in the absence of Reece James, and it was certainly a captain's performance from the No. 8.

"He's unbelievable," Delap said of Fernandez after the match.

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Fernandez ended the group stage with three goal involvements in three games, including a clinching goal in Chelsea's 2-0 victory against Los Angeles Football Club in their opening match.

To date, he has enjoyed an impressive 2025.

The first half of the year has seen him pick up eight assists so far – the most of any Chelsea player – as well as score six goals. On top of that, he is the club's only player to create more than 50 goal-scoring opportunities this calendar year. To put his form into context, no other Premier League player has provided more goal contributions since April.

The playmaker has been instrumental in the Blues' qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League. They also won the UEFA Conference League.

Despite such a short spell at the club, Fernandez, who played at Defensa y Justicia and CA River Plate before making the move to Europe, was considered one of the most impactful signings in Benfica’s recent history. He has continued that form in his third season in London.

While he didn't even spend a year at Benfica, Fernandez was there long enough to leave a very clear mark on the team from the Portuguese capital. Spectators will most likely see this for themselves on Saturday.

The Encarnados paid 10 million euros to bring Fernandez to Lisbon from River Plate in the summer of 2022. They may not have wanted to lose their midfield maestro, but it was an incredible piece of business to sell him on for 121 million euros the following winter.

Fernandez's performances at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ really made European clubs take notice of him. His Argentina team went on to lift the trophy, and his performances at the heart of their midfield earned him the FIFA Young Player Award.

Even then, the original plan was for Fernandez to see out the rest of the campaign at the Estadio da Luz.

Benfica's team for the first half of that season was full of exciting talent, but Fernandez was the cog that allowed the machine to work. And he didn't just fill one role in the Benfica midfield. Rather than playing as a No. 8, 6 or 10, he did a bit of everything, which is what made him such a fundamental piece of the puzzle for the club.

Despite Benfica’s best efforts to keep him in January 2023, Fernandez left at the end of the winter transfer window after a deal was agreed with Chelsea. While Benfiquistas were understandably frustrated at the turn of events, he has left no doubt as to how grateful he is to the Portuguese club.

"I obviously didn't like the way I ended up leaving [Benfica], but I'm very grateful to everyone at the club for all the support they gave me," he told DAZN.