“Always tried to learn from him” – Chelsea star salutes Lionel Messi and says PSG hero ‘deserves everything’ he achieved in football

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has expressed his admiration for Paris Saint-Germain superstar and fellow countryman Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi put an end to Argentina's 36-year-long wait to win the FIFA World Cup by leading the team to glory in Qatar in December. He did most of the heavy lifting for the team, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in the tournament.

The PSG superstar was awarded the Golden Ball for his contributions at the competition. Meanwhile, Fernandez, who was with Benfica at the time, was named the best young player of the tournament.

Fernandez's performances at the World Cup saw him earn a big-money move to Chelsea in the winter transfer window. The Blues forked out a whopping sum of £106 million to acquire his services.

As the midfielder continues to settle in at Stamford Bridge, he has explained how much he looks up to Messi. The 22-year-old also expressed his gratitude towards the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner for taking him under his wing. Fernandez told Chelsea's in-house media:

"I’ve always said Leo Messi is a player I look up to. I’ve always tried to learn from him. He’s a great person and has given me love and support within the [Argentina national] team."

"I also had to face him when I played for Benfica in the Champions League, as he played for PSG. Right after that, we became teammates in the Argentina squad."

Fernandez went on to state that Lionel Messi deserves all the joy in football. He added:

"He’s a great person. Very humble, hard-working. He deserves everything he’s achieved in football."

---

How did Enzo Fernandez help Lionel Messi and Argentina win the FIFA World Cup?

Argentina notably faced the risk of crashing out of the FIFA World Cup after losing to Saudi Arabia in their group-stage opener. They then went on to turn things around and lift the trophy.

Lionel Scaloni's decision to introduce Fernandez into his starting line-up proved to be important on the team's road to glory. The Chelsea star started each of Argentina's last five games after starting the first two matches on the bench.

The former Benfica midfielder also scored and assisted a goal each in the process. He thus proved to be pivotal to Lionel Messi and Argentina's efforts to win the World Cup.

Fernandez has now set his eyes on continuing his development with Chelsea. He has already made four appearances across all competitions for the Blues so far.