Tag Archives: Enzo Fernandez

Lionel Messi Scores 109th International Goal to Help Lead Argentina to Copa America Final

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi helps lead Argentina to the brink of soccer history…

The 37-year-old Argentine soccer star scored his 109th international goal to help Argentina seal a 2-0 victory over Canada and earn a berth in this weekend’s Copa America final.

In the process, Argentina moved within one win of joining Spain as the only nations to win three straight major titles.

“It’s insane what this team has done, what the Argentina national team is doing,” Messi said Tuesday night. “For those who remain from the old guard, it’s beyond impressive that the national team is in another final.”

Julián Álvarez put the Albiceleste ahead in the 22nd minute, controlling a long pass from Rodrigo De Paul, taking two touches to get away from Moïse Bombito and slipping the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau for his ninth international goal.

Messi redirected Enzo Fernández’s shot following a poor Ismaël Koné clearance in off the face of Crépeau from 4 yards in the 51st for his first goal of the tournament.

Messi has 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and 14 in Copa America play, three shy of the record. He has scored against 38 different nations.

“I wasn’t sure if Enzo’s ball was going to get in,” Messi said. “It was a reflex.”

Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with 130 has more international goals than Messi, who turned 37 on June 24. Iran’s Ali Daei had 108 or 109 from 1993 to 2006, with a lingering dispute over whether a goal against Ecuador in 2000 occurred in a full international match.

With a victory on its independence day, Argentina extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games. The Albiceleste seek a record 16th Copa title when they play Uruguay or Colombia on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida.

“We have to enjoy every moment of what we’re are living,” Messi said. “I’m conscious that these are the last battles.”

Trying to string together Copa America titles around the 2022 World Cup championship, Argentina hopes to match Spain’s feat of winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships along with the 2010 World Cup.

“These are statistics. I’m not really interested about it,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through a translator. “The most important thing is to win.”

Making his 38th Copa America appearance, Messi had missed Argentina’s group stage finale with a leg injury and was subdued while playing 90 minutes in the quarterfinal win over Ecuador. He was much more agile and shot just wide in the 12th and 44th minutes.

Messi had 45 touches and a 79% pass success rate.

“They make us pay on small details,” Crépeau said.

Chelsea Closing in on Deal to Sign Manuel Ugarte

Posted on by
Reply

Manuel Ugarte may be switching sides soon…

Chelsea are thisclose to signing the 22-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer, a highly rated defensive midfielder for Sporting CP, according to ESPN.

Manuel UgarteBoth the London side and French champions Paris Saint-Germain have offered to trigger the Uruguay international’s release clause of €60 million. However, unlike the Parisians, Chelsea are adding solidarity payments and various bonuses which makes their proposition more attractive, sources said.

Sporting are even encouraging and pushing Ugarte to choose Chelsea ahead of PSG, who are still hoping to convince him, sources added. Ugarte has not yet agreed to anything but, according to sources, a full agreement with Chelsea is now close.

New Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is said to be a big fan of Ugarte, who will line up alongside British-record signing Enzo Fernandez in the Chelsea midfield next season if he decides to join the club.

Despite spending more than £600 million to sign 17 players over the past 12 months since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over the club, it is set to be another bust summer at Chelsea.

Much of that transformation looks set to focus on the team’s midfield with both Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic close to departing.

Mount’s existing deal expires next summer and Chelsea would rather cash in now than lose him for nothing in 2024 if no agreement over an extension can be reached, sources have told ESPN, with Manchester United in pole position for his signature.

Sources have also told ESPN that Manchester City are in talks to sign Croatia international Kovacic.

Chelsea FC Sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for Record €121 million

Posted on by
Reply

Enzo Fernandez is celebrating a record deal…

Chelsea FC has signed the 22-year-old Argentine professional footballer from Benfica after meeting the midfielder’s €121 million (£106.8m) release clause, the Portuguese side announced on Tuesday.

Enzo FernandezA statement from Benfica confirmed that a deal had been reached between the clubs over how Chelsea would pay the release fee for Fernandez, who has signed an eight-and-a-half year contract.

The deal breaks the previous Premier League record fee of £100m that Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish when he joined from Aston Villa in 2021.

 

Chelsea were still to confirm the deal, but according to reports in England the paperwork had been submitted on time and before the transfer deadline at 2300 GMT on Tuesday.

Fernandez impressed for Argentina as they won the 2022 World Cup and was named the Young Player of the Tournament.

ESPN reported on Monday that Fernandez had already agreed personal terms with Chelsea and was pushing the Portuguese club hard to reach an agreement with the Blues.

He becomes Chelsea’s seventh signing of a busy January transfer window, following Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto into the club.

Benfica boss Roger Schmidt was not keen on seeing Fernandez leave, but had previously said their hands would be tied if a club paid the player’s release clause.

Fernandez moved from Argentine side River Plate to Benfica in 2022 and has played 29 times in all competitions, scoring four goals and grabbing seven assists.

The deal takes Chelsea’s total outlay on players since last year’s takeover by an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital to more than £500m.

Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League, 10 points adrift of a top-four spot. They next host local rivals Fulham on Friday.

Chelsea & Benfica Remain Locked In Talks Over Enzo Fernandez

Posted on by
Reply

The fight is on for Enzo Fernandez…

Chelsea and Benfica remain locked in talks over what could turn into a British record transfer fee for the 21-year-old Argentina midfielder, according to ESPN.

Enzo FernandezFernandez is keen on moving to Stamford Bridge and Benfica are willing to agree to the move if their €120 million release clause is met in full.

Negotiations are ongoing amid conflicting messages from sources close to both clubs. Those close to Benfica suggest Chelsea have indicated they could pay up to €127m, with the extra money designed to entice the Portuguese club into accepting a series of installments over several years.

However, sources with knowledge of Chelsea’s position insist they are yet to commit themselves to such a sum and are hoping to negotiate Benfica down to a lower figure. Payments are likely to be staggered in any agreement that is reached.

This is a common occurrence in many transfers but while Chelsea are confident they have significant headroom regarding UEFA‘s Financial Fair Play rules, the club have plans to continue an expensive overhaul after committing £278.4m in the summer.

A lower initial fee for Fernandez would give them more space to move on other deals, the first of which is likely to be the imminent €37m signing of Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile.

The British transfer record is £100m, paid by Manchester City to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.

Chelsea’s interest in Fernandez is genuine and he is their top midfield target in this window. The club have engaged the services of agent Jorge Mendes in an effort to broker an agreement.

Sources have told ESPN that Fernandez is hopeful of completing a transfer to Chelsea this month with personal terms not thought to be an issue if the two clubs can finalize a fee.

Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez Wins Golden Glove at FIFA World Cup

Posted on by
Reply

Emiliano Martinez is having a golden moment…

The 30-year-old Argentine goalkeeper has been awarded the Golden Glove trophy following this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Emiliano Martinez, Martinez earned the prize, which is given to the most outstanding goalkeeper of the tournament, after Argentina won the shootout 4-2, to win the World Cup title at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Martinez became the first player to represent Argentina to win the Golden Glove. He was joined at the trophy ceremony by teammate Lionel Messi, who won the Golden Ball, as well as Enzo Fernandez, the winner of the Best Young Player award.

Emiliano Martinez,Martinez played a key role in Argentina’s dramatic final to win the country’s first world championship in 36 years.

The Aston Villa goalie, who had three clean sheets in the tournament, carried his team through extra time and a penalty shootout following a 2-2 tie in regulation. He brilliantly denied France’s Kingsley Coman with a diving left save in the performance.

After Argentina’s historic win, an emotional Martinez said, “We suffered a lot. We thought we were in control but they managed to come back. It was a very complicated game. Our destiny was to suffer. They had one last chance to win, luckily I was able to stop it with my foot.

“This is a moment I’ve always dreamed of living, I have no words for it. I left very young for England and I would like to dedicate this victory to my family.”

Martinez has been the goalkeeper for Aston Villa since 2020.

Last year, he helped his country to its first Copa America trophy since 1991.

Julian Alvarez Scores Two Goals to Lead Argentina into the World Cup Final

Posted on by
Reply

Julian Alvarez pulled a double in Argentina’s win to help his team reach the World Cup final…

The 22-year-old Argentine professional futbolista scored twice and also set up Messi’s penalty-kick goal in Argentina’s commanding 3-0 win over Croatia to advance to the final. They will face the winner of Wednesday’s other semifinal between France and Morocco.

Julian Alvarez“We deserved this, we played a great match today,” Alvarez said after the game. “We’re at the final. We want it. … We are very happy with what we achieved, and we want more.”

In the 32nd minute, Alvarez made a darting run between Croatian center backs Dejan Lovren and Josko Gvardiol, and latched onto a defense-splitting pass over the top from 21-year-old midfielder Enzo Fernandez. As he attempted to chip it over Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic, the goalie fouled Alvarez and Argentina was awarded a penalty. Lionel Messi promptly converted for a 1-0 lead.

Alvarez then led the charge as Argentina blitzed the Croatians, suffocating their opponents as they looked for a second goal. In the 39th minute, Alvarez collected the ball inside his own half and dribbled unchallenged all the way into the Croatian box. After a brief deflection, the ball ricocheted back to Alvarez, who volleyed it past Livakovic for a 2-0 lead.

“It was a nice goal,” Alvarez told reporters after the match. “I don’t usually run with the ball a lot but the situation presented itself.”

For his second goal, Alvarez let Messi do all the hard work instead, tapping in Messi’s jaw-dropping individual run and assist. Messi spun defender Josko Gvardiol around before dribbling by him and squaring the ball for Alvarez, who was waiting for the pass in front of the goal.

Fernandez controlled the middle of the field, helping Argentina pin Croatia deep in its own half and continue to mount pressure on its defense. It’s the first World Cup for both Alvarez and Fernandez. Neither made their Argentinian debut before last year.

“The match from Julian was excellent, not only because he scored two goals, but because he helped our midfielders,” Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said. ”He showcased an excellent game for his age.”

In his first season with English Premier League superpower Manchester City, Alvarez has scored three goals in three starts and 12 appearances. The club bought Alvarez last summer from Argentinian side Club River Plate for 14 million pounds, fending off stiff competition for the prized talent.

The goals marked Alvarez’s third and fourth of the tournament. He previously scored in Argentina’s wins over Poland and Australia as he muscled his way into the starting lineup over longtime mainstay Angel Di Maria.

“I said that boy is going to be a superstar,” Argentinian goalie Emiliano Martinez said. “And you can see that.”

Lionel Messi Helps Lead Argentina into World Cup Semifinals

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi is one step closer to World Cup glory…

The 35-year-old Argentine soccer star converted his penalty in the shootout and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez saved two attempts to give Argentina a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Netherlands on Friday.

Lionel MessiIn the process the team claimed a spot in the World Cup semifinals after initially giving up a two-goal lead in a late collapse in regulation time.

The match finished 2-2 after extra time, with Messi scoring one goal and setting up another. The Netherlands equalized in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time.

Messi provided a superb assist with a delicately threaded pass to defender Nahuel Molina who slotted past goalkeeper Andries Noppert to hand Argentina a first-half lead. The Paris Saint-Germain forward added Argentina’s second on 73 minutes with a well-taken penalty.

Messi scored from the penalty spot in the 73rd to make it 2-0 with his fourth goal of this year’s World Cup.

It took him to 10 goals in the World Cup, tied with Gabriel Batistuta for the most for Argentina, and 94 goals in total in his 169 international games.

“Argentina are among the four best in the world because we showed we know how to play every game with the same desire and the same intensity,” Messi said after advancing to the World Cup semifinal for the second time in his career.

“A lot of joy, a lot of happiness. We didn’t have to suffer and playing extra time or going to penalties. But we got through and it’s impressive.”

Wout Weghorst scored a header on 82 to claw one back for Netherlands to set up a tense end that repeatedly boiled over. Netherlands were handed a final lifeline with what looked to be the last kick of the match when midfielder Teun Koopmeiners stepped up to take a free-kick on the edge of the box before sliding a pass under the wall and slotted home by Weghorst.

Enzo Fernandez hit the post near the end of extra time and was the only Argentina player to fail to score in the shootout.

Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk and winger Steven Berghuis missed the side’s opening two penalties, while Argentina converted their first three before Fernandez missed their fourth. However, Lautaro Martinez stepped up and slotted home to secure a drama-filled victory and set up a semifinal clash with Croatia on Tuesday.

The loss for Netherlands eliminates them from the tournament, as well as signalling the end of head coach Louis van Gaal‘s third spell in charge. The 71-year-old coach, who is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, had already made clear ahead of the tournament this would be his last in charge.

Lionel Messi Helps Lead Argentina Into the World Cup Quarterfinals

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi has helped propel Argentina into the World Cup quarterfinals… 

In his 1,000th career match, the 35-year-old Argentine professional footballer scored the opening goal with a sublime effort on Saturday before Julian Alvarez scored in the second half to secure a 2-1 victory against Australia.

Lionel Messi,The win sets up a quarterfinal against the Netherlands.

“I am very happy for taking another step forward, achieving another objective,” Messi said. “It was a very strong and difficult match — we knew it was going to be this way.

“We didn’t have much time to rest up and we were concerned as we knew it was going to be a physical match and they were very strong. Luckily we found the goal and we were one goal ahead, and then two goals ahead.

“And then we had a setback with the goal — but that’s the World Cup for you, the matches are difficult and we got the win.”

Despite Argentina’s firepower, Australia managed to limit the early proceedings, keeping them uneventful with neither side exerting any dominance.

But the Socceroos‘ defense was breached on 35 minutes as Messi showed his undeniable quality to score his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stage.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward started the move with a darting run inside from the right wing — a quick exchange of passes landed him inside the box before he unleashed a left-footed curling shot past Mat Ryan.

“He [Messi] is incredible. One of the greatest ever,” Australia boss Graham Arnold said. “We really worked hard not to be in awe of him, because of the great player he is.

“But wow, he’s remarkable. I had the privilege of playing against Diego Maradona, and now coaching against Messi — they’re both wonderful players and Argentina should be so proud and happy to have players of that calibre.”

Buoyed by rapturous support, Argentina tightened their grip on a quarterfinal spot 12 minutes after half-time as Rodrigo De Paul pounced on a slack touch by Australia goalkeeper Ryan, allowing Alvarez to slot into a vacated net, doubling his side’s lead.

A triple substitution for Australia on 72 minutes signified a desperate last roll of the dice by manager Arnold and they were handed a lifeline when an own goal by Enzo Fernandez halved their deficit 13 minutes from time.

Craig Goodwin latched onto a loose ball outside the box and struck a fierce effort first-time, which took a huge deflection off Fernandez, fooling goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and hitting the back of the net.

With renewed optimism, Aziz Behich came close to leveling the game three minutes later as he embarked on a fantastic darting run, beating four Argentina defenders before eventually being thwarted by Lisandro Martinez in the box.

Despite their desire, a comeback didn’t materialize for Australia and manager Arnold was full of praise for their impressive run in the tournament.

“They’re extremely disappointed — it’s not every day you get to play the third-best nation in the word and play those types of players,” he said.

“I felt we did a good job. I wanted to say how proud I am of them and the sacrifices they’ve made through the campaign. Everyone said before we came here we were the worst Socceroo team ever and to qualify for a World Cup — but that’s gone now — we’ve done exceptionally well.”

Lionel Messi Makes Champions League History with Goal vs. Benfica

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi has set yet another record…

The 35-year-old Argentine professional futbol star hit a sublime opening goal but Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw by Benfica in their Champions League clash at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi Messi opened the scoring midway through the first half after link-up play involving Kylian Mbappe and Neymar before a trademark curling left-foot finish from the edge of the box.

The goal meant Messi became the first player in Champions League history to score goals against 40 different opponents.

But the lead did not last long with Benfica hitting back in the 41st minute when an inviting in-swinging cross from Enzo Fernandez touched off PSG defender Danilo and into the net.

The result means PSG and Benfica remain level on points at the top of Group H after three matches. The two teams will meet again in Paris on Tuesday. Juventus sit in third on three points after they got their first win of the competition at point-less Maccabi Haifa.

Benfica had begun Wednesday’s encounter the better team, with their press disturbing PSG’s rhythm. On multiple occasions, Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to keep efforts from the home side at bay.

But a moment of brilliance from Messi looked to have turned the game on its head.

All three of PSG’s star attacking trio were involved. Messi drove in from the right and found Mbappe who laid it off to Neymar before the Brazilian put it back into Messi’s path for a sumptuous finish.

Messi has now scored in six successive games for club and country, the first time he has done so in nearly four years.

PSG looked set to take control but some less than resolute defending gave Benfica a chance to draw level. There was an element of fortune, too, about the equalizer as Fernandez’s cross appeared to miss the head of Goncalo Ramos before glancing off the chest of Danilo and beating Donnarumma.

The French champions came out for the second half with a renewed intensity and several times came close to going back in front. Neymar clipped the crossbar with a spectacular overhead kick while Achraf Hakimi and Mbappe both forced smart saves from Odysseas Vlachodimos in the Benfica goal.

But Donnarumma had to be alert to deny Rafa Silva from close range following a surging run in the final 10 minutes.

Messi was substituted in the 81th minute. PSG coach Christophe Galtier indicated that the change for Pablo Sarabia only took place because Messi was tired.

“He signaled that he wanted to come off. On the final sprint, he felt tired. He came off as he was tired and a fresher teammate was a much better option at that moment,” Galtier said to RMC Sport after the game.

Ultimately both sides are unlikely to be too disappointed with a point each.