Suffice to say that so much can change in the space of weeks, let alone four years. Just ask Julian Alvarez. The classy attacker headed to the as a top-quality back-up. The Manchester City forward at the time was initially behind Lautaro Martinez – who had made a crucial contribution to Argentina’s CONMEBOL Copa America success in 2021 – in the pecking order and had to bide his time on the bench until opportunity came knocking.
Following substitute appearances in the painful defeat in the opener against Saudi Arabia and the victory over Mexico, Alvarez got the nod to start the third group game against Poland. The River Plate academy graduate bagged the second and final goal of the contest and simply never looked back, cementing his starting berth all the way to the final.
With the fast approaching, Alvarez and Martinez are both set to feature in Lionel Scaloni’s squad. The former is Atletico Madrid’s talisman, while the latter leads the line for Inter Milan, demonstrating the wealth of riches available to the holders. Alvarez’s role has evolved somewhat, however.
Proven in Europe, the frontrunner has won almost everything there is to win, including the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, the UEFA Champions League and the Copa America. Having performed at a high level in South American qualifying, the 26-year-old is now an established starter for and a key cog in the team’s system thanks to his link-up play, aggressive pressing and lethal finishing.
Having notched four goals at the 2022 edition, including a memorable brace in the semi-finals against Croatia, Alvarez is now dreaming of further international glory at this year’s World Cup. The Albiceleste will compete in Group J alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan. Their No9 sat down with FIFA and sounded an ambitious note ahead of the global bonanza in June and July, as well as looking back at his nation’s campaign in Qatar and considering how his game and status have changed since then.
Julian Alvarez: We’re competitors, but we also get to play together, which is a pleasure for me. Whenever we’ve taken to the pitch together, we’ve done well and when just one of us gets the call, all that matters is that we all want what’s best for the team. That internal competition also helps us both develop and improve every day. It’s always like that. Whenever you have strong and healthy competition, everyone gets better, which is the key aspect.
As an Argentinian, the excitement is always there and we always want to be crowned champions. There’s no reason for this time to be any different. We want to reach the final. We know it won’t be easy; it’ll take a lot out of us and it could come down to fine margins, but we’ll be as well prepared as possible and take it step by step.
Heading into this World Cup as world champions is simply incredible. I feel immensely proud. Of course, we want to retain the trophy and make our people jump for joy once again.
I’d go for the Mexico game. I think it was pivotal because of everything that followed and bearing in mind what had happened beforehand. It was a real turning point for us. From that moment on, everything fell into place and we knew that our fate was in our own hands.
If we retain the World Cup, it’d go down in history because we’d be back-to-back world champions, as well as two-time Copa America winners along the way. It’s been a golden era for our country over the last few years, so we hope to savour even more of these incredible moments that make us all so happy.
We’re all fully aware that this could well be Leo’s last World Cup, given his age, but it’s his decision at the end of the day. It’ll certainly make for a special World Cup and I don’t just mean for us, his team-mates and the Argentinian people, but for everyone who watches and follows him, given that he’s the best player of all time. Of course, he’s made a colossal impact the world over.
When you pull on this jersey, you represent an entire nation full of people who live and breathe football; that’s how passionate they are about it. Wearing the shirt and representing so many people who love what we do fills me with pride. It’s a responsibility as well, but we all do it with love and passion.
I wouldn’t say my style has changed much since 2022, but I’ve learned some new concepts and improved in certain areas. I have more experience now given how many matches I’ve played in the last few years. Above all, wearing this shirt gives you an extra push and you do get better over time, even if you don’t realise it.
Sources: FIFA Official
