What were you doing at age 22? Chances are you weren't helping your national team to win the World Cup. Don't worry though, neither were the vast majority of Manchester City's superstars.
Julian Alvarez is unique in that sense; on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, City's young attacker achieved a life's dream as he hoisted the World Cup trophy above his head. He is the only current and active City player to boast a World Cup winner's medal in his collection, and only the second to ever win the competition while on City's books.
Sixteen City players jetted off to Qatar in November to take part in the greatest show on earth, but only Alvarez went all the way. While this Argentina's first World Cup triumph since 1986 will - understandably so - be remembered as the cherry on top of Lionel Messi's extraordinary career, Alvarez's contribution will not be forgotten in a hurry.
READ MORE: How Man City legend Sergio Aguero celebrated Argentina's World Cup win
After starting his side's first two group matches on the bench, Alvarez got the nod from Lionel Scaloni for a must-win final group outing and kept his place thereafter. His sumptuous strike gave Argentina a vital two-goal lead against Poland, before he repeated the feet - albeit less spectacularly - against Australia in the round of 16.
In the goalless quarter-final draw with The Netherlands he led the Argentine press like a man possessed, before he scored two and assisted another as Croatia crumbled at his feet in the semi-final.
While the stats won't show it, Alvarez played a key role in Argentina's second goal in the final. It was his first-time pass into the channel that set Alexis Mac Allister racing towards the penalty area, where the Brighton man squared for Angel Di Maria to convert.
That Alvarez can now call himself a world champion, the only one among his club colleagues, should not be an unexpected alert of his talent. Over the past few months, City and their supporters have witnessed glimpses of his huge potential, although the success of Erling Haaland has prevented him from playing more of a starring role.
But if before there was a modicum of doubt surrounding his potential to thrive at City, that has surely evaporated now. Alvarez left for Qatar a young striker trying to make a name for himself at one of the best clubs in the world, and now he returns a world champion.
City must now get the next stages of his development spot-on, or risk one of the most exciting talents to come out of South America in years falling victim to the success of his teammate.
While Alvarez has made 12 league appearances for City, he has been named in the starting XI just three times. Two of those breaks came when Haaland was either injured or not fully fit. After his exploits in Qatar, he simply has to start more games, if not in the second half this season then the season after.
Guardiola has insisted on plenty of occasions that Haaland and Alvarez can play together in the same starting XI, so that may be a promise that he has to come good on. Alvarez comes across as an extremely selfless and team-focused player, but there will come a point when his talent and natural desire to play will make regular substitute briefs an impossibility.
It's of paramount importance that City find the right solution for Alvarez. If there's a manager that can do that, it's surely Guardiola.
READ NEXT:
