The feature of a new CITY+ documentary, ‘Standing Alone’ traces the incredible calendar year of Julian Alvarez for club and country – here, in a special City Magazine edition – we pay tribute to the man they call 'La Arana… '
What began in the Lusail Stadium, Qatar on 22 December 22, ended one year and four days later in the King Abdullah Stadium, Saudi Arabia.
The Persian Gulf to the Red Sea – 1500 kilometres across the vast Arabian Desert – and two football stadiums almost parallel in their geographical locations.
It’s fair to say neither stadium would have probably ever been prominent in the mind of Julian Alvarez as a young boy, yet he would create history in both, and so much more, in-between playing at either venue.
“When I was young, I had a dream,” recalled Alvarez. “I never stopped dreaming about it. And then it became reality. There is no dream too small. There is no dream too big.”
In the space of 369 incredible days, Alvarez won every major honour available to him.
The FIFA World Cup was followed by the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super and, almost a year to the day after celebrating Argentina’s epic triumph in Qatar, he lifted the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia with Manchester City.
The words ‘fairy tale’ don’t quite do Alvarez’s unbelievable achievements justice.
For a player still settling into life with a new club, new city and all the various challenges that presents, Alvarez headed off to the 2022 World Cup hoping to get some game time, but by no means expecting to start each and every game.
His playing time had been limited at City thanks in most part to Erling Haaland’s phenomenal start to life at the Club, but he joined up with the national team in mid-November still having scored seven goals in 20 games for the Blues.
Argentina were among the tournament favourites, but there was no standout nation expected to win the competition.
He scored in a 5-0 friendly warm-up win over the UAE, but for the opening World Cup group stage game, Alvarez was on the bench with Lautaro Martinez the preferred striker, just ahead of the mesmeric talents of Lionel Messi.
Messi would put Argentina 1-0 up against Saudi Arabia after just 10 minutes, but La Albiceleste were 2-1 down by the time Alvarez’s World Cup began off the bench on 59 minutes.
The City forward was lively but couldn’t help his country going down to what was a 2-1 loss and a huge shock.
Martinez was again in the starting XI in the next game against Mexico, and again Alvarez came off the bench with Argentina needing a goal.
The score was 0-0 when the City forward arrived, but a minute later, Argentina scored and went on to win the game 2-0.
From there, he was the first choice, starting the next four games, scoring four goals, and winning a place in the starting XI for the World Cup final against France.
He played 102 minutes, coming off with the score at 2-2 and though both teams would score again, it was Argentina who triumphed 4-3 on penalties.
A world champion, a boyhood dream realised and so much more to look forward to.
Julian received a warm ovation from the City fans on his return and he would feature in the final Premier League game of 2022 – a 1-1 draw with Everton.
He would score eight more goals in all competitions as he helped City secure the Premier League title, reach the FA Cup final and the Champions League final in what was becoming an epic campaign for the Club.
Though he would watch from the bench as City beat United 2-1 and then Inter 1-0 to complete the Holy Grail of a Treble only Manchester United had previously achieved, he had more than contributed to our successes in both competitions.
Four winner’s medals in the bag – World Cup, Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup - it was the stuff of dreams.
What is perhaps even more incredible is that, because he started 2022 still with River Plate (on loan from City) back in February, by the time his ‘season’ ended on 19 June 2023, he had been playing continuously, without a break for 17 months.
That equates to 89 games for River, City and Argentina and 40 goals! But the calendar year we are focusing on was far from finished.
After finally getting a much-deserved seven-week break, he was back in action for the Community Shield against Arsenal last August ,but wouldn’t get to take a penalty in the shoot-out as Arsenal scored all four of their efforts – City missed two of the first three – and his allotted spot-kick was not necessary in the 4-1 shoot-out defeat.
10 days later, he came off the bench in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla and after the scores ended level, that game also went to a penalty shootout.
Alvarez successfully took City’s second spot-kick and this time, the Blues would triumph, winning 5-4 to give Julian his fifth winner’s medal in eight months.
There was just one more to complete this most exclusive of collections – the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
It was City’s first appearance in the tournament, and Julian would come on after 65 minutes of our 4-0 semi-final win over Urawa Diamonds and start the final against Fluminense.
Against the Brazilian champions, Alvarez would score after just 40 seconds and, neatly bookending this momentous calendar year (+4 days!), he scored the fourth in a 4-0 win that crowned City champions of the world.
It had been almost a year to the day that Julian had won the World Cup and was his sixth medal in 369 tumultuous days – and it was a collection that no footballer had ever won before.
In total since his 2018 breakthrough, he’s won 15 titles with Argentina, City and River Plate.
Clearly, no dream is too big if your name is Julian Alvarez.
‘Julian Alvarez: Standing Alone’ is available from 14 March on CITY+.
How Julian Alvarez got his 'La Arana' nickname…
Julian Alvarez’s family know only too well how he got his nickname ‘La Arana’ – The Spider.
Brothers Rafael and Augustin, along with his parents Gustavo and Mariana, recall how his fast technique and movement led to him being compared to the eight-legged arachnid – and it’s a nickname Julian loves and has followed him from South America to Manchester as his amazing career continues to blossom.
“Every afternoon after school, we played football,” recalled Rafael. “The football was our toy.”
Gustavo recalls of his son’s obsession: “We had to take care of the paintings, the television when they played in the house, and then, on the football pitch in front of the house, 'La Arana' was born.
“His brothers and friends all started to call him La Arana', because he looked like he had lots of legs when he was playing!
“He always stood out,” smiled Augustin.
“It was always difficult to take the ball away from him,” added Rafael.
A child protégé, video clips of the young Julian waltzing through defences and scoring spectacular goals show just how far head of his contemporaries he was. And The Spider was quickly gaining a cult following in his home village…
“He used to go crazy fast, and nobody could take the ball off him,” said his father.
“When people came to watch the games, they would ask 'Is La Arana playing?'
“And that's how it started”.
Julian was 16 when he left his home town behind to join River Plate’s academy.
He was soon making waves with the Argentine giants and by the age of 18, he had broken his way into the senior side.
But it seemed as though his nickname has stayed back in his old neighbourhood and might have been forgotten forever.
“When I left Calchín, people started calling me Julian, or Juli - at River Plate people addressed me as 'Juli',” he said.
“The reason I got called La Arana again was the night before a game, a team-mate gave me the idea of celebrating like Spiderman. So, I did.”
The first time he did his new celebration, and in the TV interview that followed, introduced the rest of the country to his web-spinning superhero alter ego.
“Some friends told me to dedicate a goal to them and I did in that way because my nickname is Arana,” Julian told the interviewer.
“And from there on, Julian didn’t exist anymore - it was La Arana!" his father confirmed.
“It's amazing to see him now recognised as Arana when he plays,” added brother Augustin.
And after the City fans became aware of his nickname, the spider celebration soon became the young forward’s trademark whenever he scored. And still is.
“I love that here people call me La Arana in Spanish because my nickname is like that. It makes me happy,” concluded Julian - a well-spun story if ever there was! 🕷️
City colossus Rodrigo looks back on his team-mate’s epic 12 months…
Most players dream of winning all the major trophies at some stage of their career. Some would be more than happy with just some of them.
And there would be plenty who would take just one or two into retirement, to show the grandkids and suchlike.
Julian Alvarez won all the major trophies he possibly could inside 12 months.
Yet the young striker from River Plate arrived in Manchester a relative unknown.
Aged 22, he had to take on the role of best supporting act as our new signings were unveiled in July 2023, with the headline act very much the capture of goal-machine Erling Haaland.
Though highly regarded in Argentina, the 22-year-old knew he had work ahead if he was to establish himself in this stellar Manchester City team.
“I don’t think many people knew who he was when he first arrived, because South American football is a very particular market and in England – including myself – we didn’t know who Julian was," reflects Rodrigo.
“Was it hard for him at first? Yeah, of course, and not only because of the goals Erling was scoring, but because of the age he was when he first came here – and with Haaland scoring so many goals and with the stats he had, it wasn’t easy for Julian.
“But now he has adapted his game to different positions in that he can play as a striker, out wide or as an attacking midfielder and this is very, very good for him because he can help the team in different ways.”
Initially, it seemed it was Haaland as striker and Alvarez on the bench, or when Haaland was unavailable or rested, Alvarez would start.
After 20 months as a City player, does Rodrigo believe the pair can regularly start together?
“Yes of course, we can play with both,” said Rodrigo.
“This is something very, very important because they are both goal-scorers, both strikers and Julian can also take up different positions and this is also very important because if you have one player who can score goals it is great, but if you have two, it is incredible, and this shows the ability and capability of Julian to be able to do what the manager wants.”
Away from the glare of the public, Rodrigo paints a picture of a quiet, almost shy young man who is only to underplay his amazing triumphs for club and country.
“He is very polite, kind kid – sometimes too quiet - and he is always so nice, open to the people and good to be around,” said Rodrigo.
“When he arrived here, he couldn’t speak much English, but he does now and that’s very important to be involved in a team like ours in England - that is crucial.
“After two years, he has been champion of everything and is very loved among his team-mates.
The image of Julian in the 2022 World Cup lifted him to the next level as a player and he had an incredible tournament and lifted the trophy for his country; he made history.
“He didn’t play at the start of the World Cup, but he overcame that situation and ended up - after Messi - the most important player for Argentina, which was incredible for him.
“After the World Cup everyone was reasonably fresh because it was still only the middle of the season - the problem was the end of the season was a very long way off, but it was fantastic for us because we won an amazing Treble and that was another incredible moment for Julian because he’d by that point won everything you could win, and I was very happy for him.
“He deserves it – he has worked hard and been key and important in all the trophies we have won – he is a normal guy, but he tries to make out his achievements are a normal thing – it’s not – it’s an incredible achievement, but the desire he has is to keep winning, focus on the work ahead and focus on helping our team and help us try and win as many titles as we can again is fantastic.”
"Alvarez has many more chapters to write..."
South American football journalist Tim Vickery is regular on TV and radio in the UK for many years, offering expert insight on players coming to the Premier League – one of which, was Julian Alvarez…
For those who don’t know me, I am Tim Vickery, a football journalist based in South America.
I’ve spent 29 years living in Brazil and covering Argentina and the rest of South America and the best part of my job is - and I compare it with going to the movies and watching the trailers - I get to see them first!
Before taking them to the airport, saying goodbye and sending them to Europe, I get to know these future stars.
I saw Sergio Agüero when he was 17 years-old. Wow! He instantly reminded me of Brazilian legend Romario – Sergio was a truly great striker and a vital part of the Manchester City jigsaw.
I saw Julián Álvarez all the way up and that is a true privilege because I see some of the raw talent coming through and then I follow them through their careers.
I first saw Julian in 2018 when he played in the biggest game in River Plate’s history, coming off the bench in the Copa Libertadores against Boca Juniors in Madrid, and that is an enormous gesture of faith that the coach has in this player.
We’d seen him before that game, and it was very obvious that he was an enormous talent.
But the question was, where was he going to fit in? In a 4-4-2 that would be easy, he’d be the second striker, but in a 4-2-3-1, it’s not so obvious.
He’s not a target man or an out and out winger and he’s not a speed merchant, but he is a clever player who was nurtured in his formative years by his coach at River Plate. Marcelo Gallardo.
The promise was there from 2018, but in 2019 he just explodes before the pandemic in 2020 and football is suspended – longer in Argentina than anywhere else - so by 2021, he was ready to be set free and he was the star turn at River.
The road from promise to reality is riddled with pitfalls, but he achieved it through intelligence and hard work, and while he moves quickly, his mind moves faster. He is so clever.
You can see him thinking, working out his options and doing it at speed, which is so difficult. I’ve always said he is a striker with the soul of a midfielder.
This is a player with technical and tactical ability to succeed, but also the mental capacity to succeed.
Pep Guardiola and Julian Alvarez was always going to be a great match-up.
In any other summer, he would have been the most exciting signing City would have made, but when you sign Erling Haaland, he's going to go unnoticed a little.
He was the best player in Argentina when he left – not back page news, but front-page news - but the moment you walk into a team like Manchester City, you’re nobody – it’s a case of, ‘you might have done it over there, but can you do it over here?' So, players from South America are very much starting again from scratch.
It's a very big step and a scary one for a lot of South American footballers, arriving in a different culture and climate, with a language they probably don’t speak, so it’s not easy and there are no guarantees in football because we are dealing with human beings.
So, arriving at the same time as Erling Haaland was absolutely a positive for a couple of reasons.
One, it takes the pressure off - the focus is on Haaland. And that's fine.
This is how it should be.
It helped take the spotlight off him in those potentially awkward first few difficult months, but also because they are not necessarily competing for the same place and that’s because of Alvarez’s versatility across the front line, so I think this is something that worked very much in his favour.
He started the 2022/23 season as a promise, and he ended as a global reality and something of a superstar.
He won a Treble and a World Cup in one year, he should probably retire now!
I’ve enjoyed following his journey so much from the start and there are so many more chapters of his story to be written.
Some players, you just know, and, in this case, it was right player, right coach and right club – everything was there.
You could see the stars aligning and as long as he keeps uniting talent, hard work and intelligence, his chances of winning the serious honours are intact for many years to come.
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