Enzo Fernandez fired Argentina level against England with five minutes left in the World Cup semi-final at Atlanta Stadium – then triggered a social media meltdown that forced Chelsea to delete a celebratory post within minutes.
The 25-year-old midfielder curled a dipping shot past Jordan Pickford from the edge of the box, sparking wild celebrations among Argentina fans. Two minutes into stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez met a cross with a towering header at the back post to seal a 2-1 win and send the South Americans into Sunday’s final against Spain.
“Chelsea deleted a post celebrating Enzo Fernandez's World Cup equaliser against England after fans accused the club of betrayal.”
While 24 million people watched the BBC coverage, Chelsea posted a photograph of Fernandez cupping his ears in celebration on X, captioned: “Enzo Fernandez,” alongside an explosion emoji. The move backfired almost instantly.
“Are you f*ing serious! We are Chelsea, we are English. England over f*ing Enzo f***ing Fernandez,” one fan wrote. Another called it “a disgraceful post. Betrayal.” A third user noted: “Chelsea FC have deleted an X post of Enzo Fernandez celebrating after the goal. Many fans were angry in the replies.”
The club removed the post altogether after the wave of criticism. Yet the backlash was not universal. “I get it, but Chelsea have to remember it has an international fanbase,” one supporter said. “Some of us fell in love with the non English players of Chelsea like Didier [Drogba] or Eden [Hazard].” Another questioned: “Angry about the c…” — the source cuts off.
The damage, however, was done. For England fans, the sight of an English club celebrating a goal that helped knock England out was too much. “Any club celebrating a goal against the country they represent is idiotic – no matter the player, club, or country,” one vented.
Fernandez was instrumental throughout the semi-final, but Gordon had given England a second-half lead before the late collapse. Now Argentina face Spain in the final, while Chelsea face a PR storm of their own making.