Julian Alvarez the perfect foil for Lionel Messi and Argentina

Only six Argentines have scored more World Cup goals than Julian Alvarez. He’s the first to score a semi-final brace since Diego Maradona in 1986

LINK UP: Argentina's Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game with team-mate Lionel Messi during the FIFA World Cup semi-final match at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire

The Argentine commentary for the fourth World Cup goal of Julian Alvarez’s career is quite a listen, if you have 30 seconds to trawl Google or social media. It’s not hard found.

If you cup your ear for a split-second, you hear the word Alvarez in there but it’s lost in a maelstrom of wild emotion and a verbal torrent that reaches a pitched crescendo with six words roared into the microphone: “Messi! Messi! Messi! Futbol! Futbol! Futbol!” Yes. Quite. We suppose, if nothing else, it’s a pretty neat synopsis of why we’re all here in the desert in December anyway, right? It’s ultimately why Julian Alvarez is here too.