How Julian Alvarez became Argentina’s perfect foil for Lionel Messi

Alvarez was only expected to play a minor part in Qatar. Instead, he has achieved about as much as any Argentina player not called Lionel can expect: second billing

It is not often that a World Cup final comes around and a team playing in the North West Counties First Division South has a direct interest. Abbey Hey, based in Gorton in south east Manchester and not far at all from the Etihad Stadium, are awaiting the return of their two highest-profile players Rafael and Agustin Alvarez from international duty. Their younger brother Julian’s international duty, to be precise.

Just as Julian Alvarez’s family followed him to Manchester, they followed him to Qatar, and that meant the budding careers of his brothers in English football’s tenth tier had to be put on hold for however long Argentina remained at the tournament. At least Rafael and Agustin - or ‘Punchi’ and ‘Turron’, as they are known among the Alvarez family - have not missed much.

The cold snap, sub-zero temperatures and generally inclement winter weather back in the North West have put paid to five of Abbey Hey’s last nine fixtures, including an Edward Case Cup third round tie away to Eccleshall that now has to be rearranged for a third time. The second attempt to fulfil the fixture was abandoned halfway through due to poor visibility while Abbey Hey were 3-1 up.

It is all quite a contrast with Sunday, the Lusail and the very pinnacle of the same sport. Yet Lionel Messi’s strike partner on the day that he could realise his destiny is no stranger to the Abbey Stadium. If either Rafael or Agustin are playing and Julian is not, you will find him there huddled with the rest of the family, drinking maté tea to keep warm and cheering his elder siblings on.

That same spirit of family and unity is found within the Argentina camp itself and has charged their run to this final but it may have no better embodiment than the youngest of the Alvarez brothers. Arriving in Qatar with just one competitive international start to his name, Julian was only expected to play a minor part. Instead, he has achieved about as much as any Argentina player not called Lionel can expect: second billing.

Some saw it coming. It was during his first few days as a Manchester City player that the subject of this tournament came up in training among the Portuguese contingent, Rodri and Pep Guardiola. “They were chatting about the candidates to win the World Cup. They mentioned Portugal, France, all the teams from here [in Europe],” Alvarez recently recalled. “Pep told them: ‘Do you know who has the best chance?’ He pointed at me.”

Maybe that was Guardiola’s roundabout way of expressing his enduring appreciation of Messi’s gifts but it more than likely had something to do with Alvarez’s too. Guardiola will at least have known that his new signing’s combination of instinctive finishing, intelligent movement off the ball and sheer selflessness out of possession could make him the ideal foil to the greatest of all time.

While a 35-year-old Messi’s energy is best spared for Argentina’s spells in possession, Alvarez’s younger legs have been instructed to win it back. No Argentina player in the semi-final against Croatia applied defensive pressure as often as him. In fact, according to Fifa’s advanced statistical data, no member of Lionel Scaloni’s squad has worked harder at pushing on and pressing opponents across the four games that Alvarez has started since the final round of the group stages, even though he is yet to play a full 90 minutes.

If that willingness to work and go hunting for the ball has been key to Alvarez’s sudden rise up the international pecking order, he has impressed on it too. His first against Croatia was everything Scaloni and his teammates have come to expect: a threat in behind, with movement difficult to detect, and a determination to bludgeon the ball in if need be. First Josip Juranovic thought he took it from him, then Borna Sosa thought the same. It transpired that neither had nor could stop him.

After Tuesday’s semi-final, Alvarez was in the strange position of scoring twice to take his country to a World Cup final and see all the praise and adulation go elsewhere. At least Messi made sure that the 22-year-old’s performance received the attention it deserved. “Today I think Julian was a stand-out above all else,” he said. “He played an extraordinary game. He opened the way for us, he fought, he ran, he hit everyone. I think he was extremely important as he has been throughout the World Cup.”

Alvarez has proven a perfect foil for Messi in Qatar (Getty Images)

Eleven of Argentina’s 12 goals in total at this World Cup have come with Alvarez on the pitch. All of the five that they have conceded have come with him off it. He may just be their second-most important player - the Jorge Valdano to Messi’s obvious 1986 equivalent - and his willingness to embrace that role has been key.

There has been no better example of that than for the third goal against Croatia - Alvarez’s second - and how Messi orchestrated it. A subtle flick of his left wrist let Alvarez know where to go, to lean into Josko Gvardiol and chest the ball down. Alavrez obliged, then Messi took over from there, burning past the most coveted young centre-half in Europe, turning back and forth under pressure but remaining conscious of his strike partner’s presence, eventually picking him out for the simple finish.

Another two for Alvarez in the final could be enough to win the Golden Boot, provided neither Messi nor Kylian Mbappe is not on the scoresheet again, but then his success in Qatar until this point has come by epitomising the squad's collective spirit in service of Messi - the spirit that has picked Argentina up after their opening defeat, dusted them down and dragged them to a World Cup final. Now, to win it. And after that, weather permitting, Abbey Hey travel to New Mills the day after Boxing Day.