Julian Alvarez had a hand in all three goals in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Croatia on Tuesday evening, scoring twice and making an assist, so he’s now in the running to win the Golden Boot. The 22-year-old has four goals from six games – one behind Kylan Mbappe (5 goals in 6 games) and Lionel Messi (5 goals in 6 games).
Argentina sealed their place in the World Cup final after their semi-final victory at the Lusail Stadium and had Alvarez to thank. The 22-year-old won a first-half penalty which Messi dispatched, and he found the back of the net minutes later with a lengthy solo run after Messi stretched to feed him the ball.
Midway through the second half, Alvarez scored a tap-in thanks to a brilliant Messi assist, so the pair were the difference against Croatia. And now ahead of Argentina’s World Cup final against France, there are three players chasing the Golden Boot that will all be in action.
Alvarez was rated highly for his time at River Plate (122 games, 54 goals, 31 assists) and has done well since making the switch to Manchester City (20 games, 7 goals, 2 assists), but few would have expected him to be this important for Argentina at the World Cup.
In other news, Man City player has gone backwards for England national team
Can you name these Man City players from the 2000s? Test your knowledge, take the quiz and challenge your friends and family to beat your score