Chelsea delete Fernandez celebration post after Argentina stun England in World Cup semi-final

Chelsea deleted a social media post celebrating Enzo Fernandez’s goal after a wave of fan backlash, as Argentina eliminated England 2-1 in their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday evening.

England had taken the lead through Anthony Gordon in the second half, only for Fernandez to level with a curling, dipping strike from the edge of the area with five minutes remaining. Lautaro Martinez then broke English hearts two minutes into stoppage time, meeting a cross with a towering header at the back post to seal Argentina’s place in the final.

Chelsea marked Fernandez’s goal by posting a photograph of the midfielder cupping his ears in celebration, captioned “Enzo Fernandez” alongside an explosion emoji. The post drew an immediate and hostile response from England supporters, prompting the club to remove it entirely.

“Are you fing serious! We are Chelsea, we are English. England over fing Enzo f***ing Fernandez,” wrote one supporter. Another called it “a disgraceful post. Betrayal.” A third user confirmed the deletion, noting that “many fans were angry in the replies.”

Not all supporters shared that view. Some pointed to Chelsea’s global fanbase and the club’s long history of celebrated foreign players. “I get it, but Chelsea have to remember it has an international fanbase,” one user wrote. “Some of us fell in love with the non-English players of Chelsea like Didier [Drogba] or Eden [Hazard].” Another questioned the logic of the outrage: “Angry about the club celebrating a player that still has contracts with the club?”

The debate reflects the tension clubs increasingly face when their players perform for rival nations in major tournaments. Fernandez, 25, has been one of Chelsea’s most prominent signings in recent years, and his role in ending England’s World Cup run placed the club in an awkward position with a significant portion of its domestic support.

Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, 19 July. England take on France in the third-place play-off the day before.