Enzo Fernandez opens up on Lionel Messi, Argentina’s World Cup triumph, and the pressure of defending the trophy on the biggest stage.
In this exclusive interview with Ben Jacobs, Enzo Fernandez reflects on winning the World Cup with Messi, his emotional first goal for Argentina, Dibu Martinez’s iconic final save, and what it means to represent Argentina heading into another massive tournament. Enzo also discusses his evolution as a player, growing into a leadership role, and his dream of one day captaining the national team.
From Messi’s influence to Argentina’s winning mentality, this is Enzo Fernandez on the moments that shaped his career — and what comes next.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has revealed the heartbreaking reason his mother was unable to watch his Man of the Match performance against Spain at the World Cup on Monday evening. The tiny island nation of just 529,600 people pulled off a stunning 0-0 draw in their first-ever appearance on football’s biggest stage, sending shockwaves through the tournament.
Spain peppered the Cape Verde goal with 23 shots, but the 40-year-old rolled back the years with a heroic display, producing eight saves to keep a clean sheet and deservedly claim the Man of the Match award. At times, he seemed to have more arms than an octopus as he frustrated the European champions at every turn. Unsurprisingly, the scenes at full-time were a mixture of disbelief, joy and raw emotion as Cape Verde celebrated a result that few saw coming.
Vozinha currently plays for Portuguese side Chaves in Liga Portugal 2, having also featured for clubs including Limassol and Zimbru Chisinau during his career. It is not the sort of footballing pedigree usually associated with the World Cup spotlight, but when his moment came, he grabbed it with both hands (literally).
Cape Verde keeper stunned Spain with an incredible display at the World Cup
Vozinha Explains Why Mum Missed His World Cup Debut Heroics
Bernadett Szabo via Reuters
Whereas most of the Blue Wave players’ tears came courtesy of pride, the reason Vozinha could be seen struggling to hold back his true emotions is a little sadder. After the full-time celebrations, he revealed that the US government had denied his mum entry into the country, and so he wasn’t able to share one of the biggest moments of his life with his family. He revealed, as per The Athletic:
“I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there. They passed away a few years ago. My mum could not be here either for a VISA issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time.”
It meant that Atlanta Stadium was missing an important piece on Monday evening, and with very few from the island nation travelling to the match, his mum’s ticket was left unused due to well-documented issues that many others are facing.
Ongoing Visa Issues Have Plagued USA’s Hosting Duties
Bonnie Cash / SIPA USA via Reuters Connect
FIFA president Gianni Infantino promised that “the world will be welcomed to America” ahead of this summer’s tournament, while US President Donald Trump said his administration was exploring ways to address ongoing visa and border-entry issues that have left many visitors struggling to get through immigration.
Among the most notable cases was Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied the opportunity to make history as the first official from his country to referee at a World Cup. Fans, coaches, players and support staff have also encountered similar obstacles, suggesting that the issue is becoming something of a recurring headache for organisers.
For people who say football and politics should not mix, this World Cup has made it pretty hard for them to hold on to that belief. After all, a whole collection of political issues have already had a big impact on the summer tournament.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has forged a close relationship with Donald Trump, but has not been able to get the US president to soften his overzealous border security laws. As such, Somalian referee Omar Artan was not allowed into the country.
Adding to that, Iraq’s World Cup striker Aymen Hussein was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, while Iran’s ongoing conflict with the US has made it difficult and at times impossible for their players, staff, and fans to get visas to come into the country. And those are just a few of the many examples where political positions have disrupted the tournament.
Infantino appears to understand that football has the power to unite, but FIFA have not taken many actions to help with that of late. His latest plans to ease tensions between Israel and Palestine have sparked more criticism.
As such, this means both Israel and Palestine could be involved, while Russia — who have been banned from FIFA competitions since their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – are also invited.
As reported by The Athletic, sources with knowledge of the plans believe that Infantino’s FIFA want the festival to get underway with a U15 match between Israel and Palestine. A spokesman from the Israeli Football Association has commented:
“Our FA President, Moshe Zuares, will stick to what he said several times publicly at FIFA congress and everywhere — we are more than ever willing to use football as an instrument to promote normalisation and peace.
“Our hands are always extended for a better future for everyone. We hope to find a brave partner on the other side.”
Their supporters will NOT be able to bring their flags into the stadiums.
Fans Stunned By FIFA Plans
When news of the plans online emerged, many questioned the wisdom of FIFA using a game between children to try to unite the nations. In September 2025, a report from Save the Children revealed that at least one Palestinian child has been killed every hour on average by Israeli forces in Gaza over nearly 23 months of war, with the number of children killed now surpassing 20,000.
Reacting to the news about a possible match between the two teams, one person wrote: “Just when you thought Infantino couldn’t get any worse.” Another added:
“It is grotesque to suggest this!”
One fan sarcastically commented on behalf of FIFA: “Hey Palestinians, play against the country that is killing your family and stealing your lands. I mean, do that for our entertainment.”
Others commented: “It’s hard to conceive a response to this that isn’t filled with anger. Infantino must be some combination of ignorant, stupid, evil, or all three.” And: “I’ve rarely seen someone as divorced from reality as Infantino.”
Someone else said: “You just wanna squeeze the money from them. disgusting.”
Manchester United are facing a battle in their hopes of landing Newcastle United star Lewis Hall, as a Premier League rival has joined the race, according to TeamTalk.
The England international has emerged as a key target for the Red Devils this summer, as they switch focus to improving the left-back ranks over the course of the transfer market.
It has been a problem position for several seasons, with Luke Shaw‘s fitness concerns joined by the inability to land a competitive replacement in recent transfer windows.
While the 30-year-old improved his availability last season, a return to the Champions League for next season means that several targets are on the radar to help deal with the increasingly busy schedule.
Hall appears to be target number one, but there is a fresh challenge in trying to secure his signature.
While there is some hope of getting a deal done, TeamTalk now reports that Premier League rivals Chelsea are in the conversation to sign the 21-year-old in the transfer window.
It’s claimed that the Blues are eyeing a possible return for the star, who came through the club’s academy ranks as a youngster before making the switch to Newcastle.
Chelsea have made enquiries over the possibility, which may only ramp up due to Marc Cucurella’s transfer to Real Madrid going through after a swift agreement was reached for the Spaniard.
The £60 million fee could prove to be prohibitive, with it being double the £30 million fee they managed to sell Hall for just a few years ago.
That said, the sale of Cucurella does mean the West London club now have money to burn at left-back, which could rock Man United in their own hopes of landing Hall.
The report claims that the 21-year-old is the “leading target” for the Red Devils this summer, but now face a battle on their hands to land him.
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Manchester United’s chase for a left-back will be key heading into next season, as the squad can’t be left short for such an important area with the return of the Champions League.
