00:06Argentina are preparing for one final
00:09major tournament with an attack focused
00:11around the greatest footballer of all
00:13time, Lionel Messi. But the future is in
00:18safe hands, with a host of dynamic young
00:21forwards ready to lead the Alba Celeste
00:23into a new era. Franco Mastantoano is
00:26still a teenager, while Fecundo Buonanotte
00:29and Alejandro Garnaccio are not much
00:32older, but all three have already amassed
00:35plenty of top-level experience.
00:40And while it may be some time before they
00:42stamp their mark on the international
00:44scene, Julian Alvarez will ensure a
00:47seamless transition between generations.
00:52Alvarez will be 26 when the World Cup
00:54comes around and has quietly amassed over
00:5750 caps and an astonishing array of major
01:00honours.
01:02He is an extraordinary player. He is the
01:04best player we have and we have to take
01:06care of him. We are going to help him to
01:08get even better.
01:09Alvarez found the back of the net four
01:11times during World Cup qualification,
01:14matching his haul from the 2022 finals in
01:17Qatar.
01:19His versatility, pace and close control make
01:23him a coach's dream. Able to link up play, take
01:27the game on in wide areas and finish with
01:29confidence. His hard work off the ball is
01:33also often credited.
01:36His appetite for leading the press was
01:39perfected during a two-year spell at
01:41Manchester City, during which he celebrated
01:44the English Premier League, FA Cup and
01:47UEFA Champions League treble.
01:51Those successes came after Alvarez had already
01:53secured the major club trophies on offer in
01:56Argentina and South America at the beginning of
01:59his career with River Plate.
02:03Alvarez now applies his trade as Atletico
02:05Madrid under the coaching of countryman
02:08Diego Simeone.
02:13I felt like I needed a change in my
02:15professional career, a new challenge and I
02:22think this is a club where I can get the tools
02:24and the space to become the best version of
02:26myself as a footballer.
02:31After studying the genius Messi for the first
02:34half of his career, Alvarez is ready to take
02:37over from the national hero and lead the line
02:39for Argentina.
02:44The 2026 World Cup will represent a changing of
02:47the guard for the Albi Celeste, but with such
02:49quality already embedded in the squad, the future
02:52looks bright.
Comments