Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández wore a discontinued 2022 World Cup boot model and scored the equaliser in his team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal comeback against England.
Fernández replaced the pink Nike boots he had used earlier in the tournament with the model he wore during Argentina’s title-winning campaign at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, according to Argentine broadcaster TN.
The model was no longer manufactured or sold, prompting Fernández to ask Córdoba-based football-boot collector and entrepreneur Nicanor Iglesias to locate three pairs.
Iglesias said one of the sourced pairs was worn by Fernández against England. He said finding the four-year-old model required additional effort because Nike had discontinued it.
Fernández did not publicly explain the switch. Iglesias suggested that comfort and the boots’ emotional connection to Argentina’s 2022 triumph may have influenced the decision.
The midfielder won the Best Young Player award at the 2022 World Cup. His return to the older boots also departed from the usual practice of sponsored players wearing brands’ newest releases at major tournaments.
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Fernández scored Argentina’s equaliser against Thomas Tuchel’s England before the defending champions completed their comeback and advanced to the final.
Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time, equivalent to midnight Pakistan Standard Time.
