Julián Álvarez

Biography

Julián Álvarez (Spanish pronunciation: ; born 31 January 2000) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Argentina national team. He is the first ever player to win the FIFA World Cup and a continental treble in the same season. Álvarez began his football career in his native Argentina, where he is an academy graduate of River Plate, making his first-team debut for the club in 2018. There he spent four seasons and won the Copa Argentina, 2018 Copa Libertadores and the Argentine Primera División in 2021, finishing as the competition's top scorer. He was named the South American Footballer of the Year in 2021. He was signed by Manchester City in 2022, winning a treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in his debut campaign. Álvarez also previously represented Argentina at various youth levels and competed at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. He made his senior international debut in 2021, and played for the squads that won the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América. Álvarez's nickname is "La Araña" (the spider) or "El Hombre Araña" (Spider-Man), reflecting his web-shooter goal celebration.