“He is my idol”- Chelsea star makes emphatic Lionel Messi claim after 2022 FIFA World Cup win

Enzo Fernandez praises Lionel Messi and calls him his inspiration in his recent interview

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez revealed in the latest interview how much he respects Lionel Messi, his teammate from Argentina.

Together, the duo won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a thrilling penalty kicks victory over France in the final. Apart from Messi, Fernandez hit the headlines in Qatar with his outstanding performance in every game, scoring a goal and contributing one assist during the competition.

In January, soon after the competition was over, Fernandez joined the Blues for a British record signing of £107 million. One can say safely that the former SL Benfica’s exploits in Qatar would have certainly pushed Chelsea over the line to pay a nine-figure fee for him.

The 22-year-old’s ascent to the pinnacle of competitive European club football was accelerated when he won the World Cup’s Best Young Player award.

It was a remarkable reversal for Argentina, who prevailed in the final despite losing their opening group game against Saudi Arabia in one of the greatest World Cup upsets ever.

The Argentine captain, Messi, was credited with inspiring the team to the peaks they eventually reached, and Fernandez discussed how the former Barcelona player played a role in his career as he reflected on this historic victory.

Fernandez did not shy away from applauding Messi’s contribution (h/t Football.London), to the elevation of Argentine players while speaking to Gastón Edul via AlbicelesteTalk. He said:

“After the game against Saudi Arabia, Messi had a speech with the team where he told us that we had to be all together more than ever. Whenever I talk about Messi, I get goosebumps. There are no words to describe my admiration for him…He is the greatest of all time.”

Messi’s reputation in football has undoubtedly changed as a result of his World Cup victory, and Fernandez was instrumental in helping the 35-year-old win his most coveted title.

It’s also nice to hear Messi appreciates Fernandez’s mentality and contributions to the squad, given that he is among the greatest players of all time. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar said after his team’s 2-0 group-stage win against Mexico, where Fernandez scored the second goal (h/t Mirror):

“I’m not surprised by Enzo. I know him and I see him train every day. He deserves [the acclaim] because he’s a spectacular player.”

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It won’t be long before there would be a passing of the baton from Messi and co. to the younger generation of the Argentina squad. One can expect Fernandez to be one of those names that take over the responsibility to become one of the leaders for them on the pitch.