Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Enzo Fernandez and Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, with the Chelsea midfielder one victory away from joining an exclusive group of Blues players to have lifted the trophy.
Five Chelsea players have won the World Cup while at the club. Frank Leboeuf and Marcel Desailly were the first, both part of France's squad that beat Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 final on home soil.
Leboeuf came off the bench in the semi-final after Laurent Blanc was sent off, then started the final alongside Desailly. Desailly was himself dismissed in the second half of that final but had started every game of France's run to the title. Chelsea had signed him from AC Milan on the eve of the tournament.
Andre Schurrle provided the decisive moment of the 2014 final. The Germany forward, used largely as a substitute throughout the tournament in Brazil, delivered the left-footed cross that Mario Gotze volleyed in during extra time to beat Argentina and give Germany a fourth world title. Schurrle had also scored twice in the semi-final, including Germany's sixth and seventh goals in their 7-1 rout of the hosts.
N'Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud were both in France's starting XI for the 2018 final against Croatia in Russia, which France won 4-2. Kante played a central role in wins over Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium in the knockout rounds, despite carrying a stomach bug on the day of the final. Giroud did not score during the tournament but registered two assists and was credited with creating space for Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann.
Fernandez and Argentina are defending the title they won in Qatar four years ago. A victory over Spain on Sunday would make him the sixth Chelsea player to win the World Cup while on the club's books.