Chelsea boss, Enzo Maresca, has spoken highly of midfielder Enzo Fernandez ahead of the Blues’ Club World Cup showdown with Benfica, the Argentine’s former side.
Speaking to journalists in Charlotte on Friday, Maresca commended Fernandez’s development and professionalism, both on and off the pitch.
“I am very pleased with Enzo especially because first of all he is a nice and polite boy, and then with us since we started he has been working very well in every aspect on and off the pitch,” Maresca said.
The match, set for Saturday in Charlotte, marks the last-16 stage of FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup. Chelsea reached this point after impressive wins in their first two games.
Fernandez, who joined Chelsea from Benfica in February 2023 for a then-British record transfer fee of £107 million ($147 million), has continued to grow into a key figure for the London club.
After netting off the bench in the 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC, the 24-year-old started the next two games, including a standout performance against Esperance of Tunisia, where he provided two assists in a 3-0 win that confirmed Chelsea’s progression.
A central figure in Chelsea’s fourth-place Premier League finish and their UEFA Conference League triumph, Fernandez has notched 14 goal contributions so far in 2025.
“This season he struggled a bit at the beginning to understand the way we want to play but (since) then he is doing fantastic also in terms of numbers, goals and assists,” Maresca added.
“This is what I want from attacking players — I have said many times that I prefer to have attacking players with 10-12 goals each than just one striker with 40 goals.
“His contribution has been top and I am sure it will be even better next season.”
Chelsea will be looking to maintain their perfect competitive record against Benfica, having beaten them in all three previous meetings, including the 2013 Europa League final.
Still, Maresca is approaching the tie with caution, particularly after the Portuguese giants topped a group that included Bayern Munich.
“I think Benfica, not only in this competition, have always shown how big a club they are in Europe,” he said.
“In the last game they beat Bayern so they showed what they can do. Every game is tough and complicated, and anything can happen.”
Victory for Chelsea would see them travel to Philadelphia for a quarter-final fixture on July 4.