When 11-year-old Julian Alvarez was asked what his football dream was, he needed barely a second to reply. Fast forward 11 years and he has achieved it.
Alvarez is one of 16 Manchester City players representing their nations at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the latest in a line of Argentinian stars to light up both the Etihad Stadium and the world stage. The difference between Alvarez and the likes of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez is that he is not of Lionel Messi's generation; when Alvarez was a child, Messi was already the best player in the world.
There's a video online - grainy footage and Club Atletico Calchin jersey verifying its authenticity - of an adolescent Alvarez saying that it's his dream to play in a World Cup. When asked who his idol was, the answer was Messi.
