HOW ARGENTINA’S JULIAN ALVAREZ COULD ‘COMPLETE’ FOOTBALL AT PARIS 2024
At just 24 years old, Julian Alvarez is on the brink of effectively 'completing' football.
The Argentine has the perfect opportunity to do just that over the next few weeks, as he contests for an Olympic gold at Paris 2024 to complete his collection.
Less than two years ago, he was part of the Argentina squad that triumphed in Qatar to win the 2022 World Cup.
It came just months before winning the treble — consisting of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League — in his debut campaign with Manchester City.
It is a feat that saw him become the first player in history to both become a world champion and a domestic treble winner in the same season.
Also a Copa America and Finalissima champion, there is little left to win before Alvarez can boast that he has won it all in football.
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OLYMPIC FOOTBALL: ARGENTINA AT PARIS 2024
Argentina know exactly what it takes to win gold at the Games.
They’ve done it twice before – Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 – this is not new territory for them. Better yet, the man in charge of leading them towards glory, Javier Mascherano, is one of those two-time gold medallists, winning one alongside arguably the greatest of all time Lionel Messi.
But their Paris 2024 campaign did not get off to the smoothest start, giving us perhaps one of the most controversial moments of the Games before we even had the opening ceremony.
Mascherano’s men were beaten 2-1 by Morocco in the most dramatic of ways.
Having equalised deep into stoppage time (106 minutes at this point), relief set in among fans and players – this game was going to finish 2-2 and they had salvaged a point. Uproar in the stadium as a result left the referee no choice but to interrupt the match, sending the players back down the tunnel.
After almost two hours, the players returned to the pitch to play the remaining three minutes after Argentina’s equaliser was ruled out for offside; Morocco would hold onto their lead to record a shock victory in the Games opener.
Opening-day defeat meant that they came into their game against Iraq knowing it was effectively a must-win to aid their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages.
A comfortable 3-1 victory helped their case for a spot in the next round, and it was Alvarez who shone brightest as he registered two assists and led by example to guide his team to a crucial win.
All things considered, the Argentines here have the makings of an all-time campaign should they go on to beat every nation that stands in their way.
While yes, there are always trophies to be won in domestic football, nothing quite eclipses a treble – and when it comes to international football, he has ticked every major accolade off his list.
Barring an Olympic gold, that is. Topping the podium here could potentially be among the sweetest triumphs of his career, for the sheer significance of it.
A win against Ukraine on Tuesday (30 July), would ensure a chance for Alvarez to ‘complete’ international football with the last medal on his wishlist, starting with the knockout stage.