Sports
‘I Want to Replace Lionel Messi as Argentina Captain’
Enzo Fernandez dreams of succeeding Lionel Messi as Argentina’s captain, he revealed in an exclusive sit-down interview with GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs.
The Chelsea star has an incredible trophy haul for such a young player, which includes winning the World Cup with his country three years ago in Qatar. Crowned the best young player of the tournament, the midfielder played a key role in Argentina’s road to glory despite being just 20 years of age.
Now 24, Fernandez is a key star for the Blues in the Premier League and Champions League, while he is also gearing up to be an integral part of the South American nation’s push to retain the iconic trophy for the first time since Brazil recorded back-to-back World Cup wins in 1958 and 1962.
Enzo Fernandez’s Argentine Dream
Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Fernandez opened up on his dream of captaining his country.
He explained: “On a personal level, of course, I dream of captaining Argentina, but that decision doesn’t come down to me. It’s up to the coaching staff. Of course, I dream of being the Argentina captain.”
If Fernandez gets his wish of captaining his country, it will mean following in the footsteps of one of football’s greatest-ever players. Lionel Messi has won it all and famously led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar three years ago in a moment that was the icing on the cake of the most spectacular career.
Now 38, next summer’s World Cup is likely to be Messi’s last hurrah on the international stage, but Fernandez says that he is unsure when one of football’s greatest ever players will head off into the sunset and vacate the armband.
“I don’t know when it might be,” the Chelsea star said. “Time will tell, and it’s up to the coaching staff to make the decision. It’s certainly one of my dreams, and I’d be honoured to wear the captain’s armband.”
Fernandez — ‘We Want More’
Next summer’s 2026 World Cup is going to be a huge spectacle, but for Argentina, they’ll also be shouldering a huge amount of pressure.
Going into the tournament as reigning champions, Fernandez says that they’ll be relishing the pressure of retaining their crown in what could be Messi’s last dance on the global stage.
The midfielder said: “We’ll try to defend it and win it again, which is what this national team must do. The Argentine people are so passionate and we always want more. Our mentality is that we deserve to defend our World Cup crown and have a great tournament, which means winning it.”
Asked about protecting Messi’s legacy, Fernandez added: “Winning the World Cup is in the past now, and we are focused on what lies ahead.
“We know it could be Messi’s last World Cup, so we’ll aim to defend our crown from Qatar as a team. We’ll do our best to retain it.”
Enzo Fernandez’s exclusive sit-down chat with Ben Jacobs will be released in full at 17:15 on Monday, December 1 on GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast and YouTube channel.
Keep your eyes peeled on GIVEMESPORT.COM for more exclusive content from the Chelsea and Argentina star throughout the week.
