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Lionel Messi had heaped praise on new Chelsea signing Enzo Fernandez following his excellent display against Mexico at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ace lauded his compatriot’s work ethic and claimed that he completely deserved all the praise he got.
Fernandez, who has become the most expensive signing in Premier League history after Chelsea paid Benfica £105 million for him, enjoyed a stellar World Cup campaign. The then-Benfica midfielder announced himself to the world in Argentina’s second group-stage game against Mexico, with the substitute scoring an excellent goal and setting up another in a 2-0 victory.
After the game, skipper Lionel Messi lauded him at a press conference, revealing that he had noticed all the hard work Fernandez had been putting in. Here's what the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning captain said about the new Chelsea signing (via The 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.”
Fernandez appeared in all seven games (five starts) for Argentina as they went on to lift the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The 22-year-old was chosen as the Best Young Player of the Tournament.
Lionel Messi stars as PSG claim routine win over Montpellier
After a frustrating performance in Sunday’s (January 29) 1-1 draw with Reims, Lionel Messi returned to familiar ways in Ligue 1 on Wednesday (February 1). The Argentinian cleverly found the back of the net as PSG cruised to a 3-1 victory over Montpellier away from home.
Fabian Ruiz (55th minute) and Warren Zaire-Emery (92nd minute) scored the other two goals for PSG while Arnaud Nordin (89th minute) netted for Montpellier.
In the seventh minute, Lionel Messi found Sergio Ramos with a clever cross into the box. The player was brought down, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Kylian Mbappe took the resulting spot kick but failed to put it away.
Messi found the back of the net in the 34th minute, but the 35-year-old’s goal was ruled out as offside in the buildup.
The Argentine finally got his goal in the 72nd minute, beating Montpellier keeper Benjamin Lecomte from point-blank range with a chipped finish after latching on to Fabian Ruiz’s through ball. The goal aside, Messi played two key passes, completed three dribbles, delivered three accurate long balls, and won seven ground duels during the match.
