Julian Alvarez picked up the ball with the prospect of a penalty shootout beginning to loom large over Kansas City Stadium. Argentina had played more than 50 minutes with an extra man, but still could not unlock a stubborn Switzerland defence that refused to be breached.
That was until La Araña fashioned a yard of space for himself and let fly a spectacular strike from outside the box: the ball took the perfect curve, curled away from Gregor Kobel and flew into the Swiss shot-stopper’s top-left corner. With 112 minutes on the clock, the world champions finally found the breakthrough they needed to turn and spare their nation.
“He didn’t try to be someone he wasn’t. He was simply himself,” Lionel Messi replied when reporters tried to draw comparisons between the finish and the brilliance of the 39-year-old legend. “He scored a magnificent goal, but it’s nothing new. He’s already scored several of that ilk. He’s got an excellent strike on him, and he’s been showing it for a long time. He’s scored countless similar goals at Atletico de Madrid.”
The goal’s importance went far beyond the quality of the strike. It was Alvarez rediscovering his best form after a build-up hampered by fitness problems, uncertainty and a race against time to recover. The forward had ended the European season with a nagging injury in his left ankle that disrupted his final few weeks with Atletico and prevented him from arriving fully fit at the World Cup.
The injury came on the back of a season in which he had been hugely influential. Alvarez finished the season with 20 goals across all competitions and as Atletico’s top scorer, level with Alexander Sorloth. The strain of a long season, combined with his ankle problem, meant precautions had to be taken. Alvarez had to sit out the first warm-up friendly and had only just regained fitness by the time Argentina faced Algeria in their opener.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed the day before the match that he was available for selection, but the coach opted to ease him back in gently: he was named among the substitutes for the first two games of the tournament to avoid a setback and gradually rebuild his match fitness.
“Personally, I feel I’ve grown into the World Cup, improving as it’s gone on,” Alvarez said. “Hopefully, as we get towards the business end of the tournament, I can reach an even higher level.”
His performances throughout the tournament have reinforced that belief. He first eased his way back by building up his minutes, then reclaimed his place in the starting XI and, by the time the knockout stages began, had rediscovered the intense, aggressive and decisive forward Argentina knew they could count on.
But his influence stretches far beyond his goals. Against Egypt, in the last 16, he was one of the driving forces behind the comeback: he pressed, won the ball back and attacked every space as Argentina tried to rescue a game that seemed to be slipping away.
His dispossession of Mohamed Salah and the run that followed created the winner for Enzo Fernandez. Against Switzerland, he delivered the same tireless display over the course of 120 minutes. He drove at defenders, dropped back to help, knitted together different areas of the pitch, had the composure to conjure the moment that changed the game and pressed again to win the ball back for the decisive third goal.
“As a forward, you want to help your team by scoring goals, but sometimes you have to do the hard yards and put in a shift defensively too,” said Alvarez. “We’re all in it together, so as long as the team keeps winning, we’re all happy.”
That phrase encapsulates his all-round value within Scaloni’s system: The former River Plate man can be the finisher and the first line of defence. His pressing forces opponents into mistakes, his movement frees up space for Messi and his ability to operate outside the box allows him to play alongside Lautaro Martinez or become Argentina’s sole focal point in attack.
Nicolas Tagliafico was delighted to see Alvarez finally get his reward in front of goal: “It’s really important for us that our strikers are getting on the scoresheet as well. We’ve had Leo, of course, and he’s been incredible for us. Our defenders have chipped in with goals and, thankfully, Lauti (Martinez) and Juli (Alvarez) have now got on the scoresheet too.”
Jose Manuel Lopez, who entered the fray to form a front three, also highlighted the journey his team-mate has been through: “I think he deserves it because he’s a great person and a fantastic player. Sometimes things happening off the pitch can leave you with a lot on your mind, but we know he’s a great professional who’s always remained focused on what he has to do here. I don’t think there was anyone more deserving of the superb goal he scored today.”
Alvarez had already been instrumental in Argentina’s triumph at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. He was 22 years old, began the tournament as Martinez’s understudy and finished it as Argentina’s second-highest scorer behind Messi. His strike against Switzerland brought his World Cup tally to five goals and further underlined his knack for delivering in the knockout stages.
Four years on, his role is different: the breakout star of Qatar has become one of the best forwards in the world and one of Argentina’s national heroes. His goal in Kansas City could prove to be the moment when his second World Cup finally got under way.
Among those watching on from the stands were family members and around 30 friends. “I decided to bring them here to support me and cheer me on. They’re the ones who’ve always been there for me, through thick and thin. I hope they enjoy it, because I love them,” he said after the game, tears filling his eyes.
They witnessed much more than just a stunning strike. They saw Alvarez rediscover his rhythm, confidence and smile after a tough few weeks. He arrived at the World Cup at the last minute, took things slowly and found his best form when Argentina needed him most.
Sources: FIFA Official
