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.
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.
Fernandez is a former youth international for Argentina, representing his country at under-18, before making his senior international debut in 2022. He was part of the squad that lifted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, also winning the tournament's Best Young Player Award.
During his career, Fernandez 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 Luis. |
